IR-2009-99, Nov. 2, 2009
WASHINGTON — Individuals e-filed a record 95 million federal income tax returns during 2009, up almost 6 percent from last year’s total of nearly 90 million. About two out of three taxpayers e-filed this year; out of the 141 million returns filed so far this year, over 67 percent were e-filed, compared to 59 percent last year.
Each year, more taxpayers chose to e-file their tax returns. While the total number of tax returns has increased 10 percent during the past decade, the number filed electronically has increased by 168 percent. Taxpayers who e-file from a home computer continue to be an increasingly significant segment of those who e-file.
|
Year
Filed
|
Total
Returns
|
e-Filed
Returns
|
Percent
e-filed
|
|
2000
|
128,430,000
|
35,412,000
|
27.57%
|
|
2001
|
130,965,000
|
40,244,000
|
30.73%
|
|
2002
|
131,728,000
|
46,892,000
|
35.60%
|
|
2003
|
131,557,000
|
52,944,000
|
40.24%
|
|
2004
|
132,200,000
|
61,507,000
|
46.53%
|
|
2005
|
133,933,000
|
68,476,000
|
51.13%
|
|
2006
|
136,071,000
|
73,255,000
|
53.84%
|
|
2007
|
140,188,000
|
79,979,000
|
57.05%
|
|
2008
|
153,650,000
|
89,853,000
|
58.48%
|
|
2009
|
141,376,000
|
94,980,000
|
67.18%
|
Home Computer e-Filers
This year, for the first time, more than a third of e-filers are those doing it themselves from a home computer More than 32 million returns were e-filed from home computers, up almost 20 percent from last year’s record of 27 million. People filing from their home computers account for about 34 percent of all e-filed returns from individuals.
Direct Deposit Refunds
Almost 73 million refunds were electronically deposited into taxpayer’s accounts, saving the government mailing costs and saving taxpayers a trip to the bank. More importantly, these taxpayers received their refunds a week sooner than those receiving a paper check.
These direct deposit refunds accounted for 66 percent of all refunds, up from 62 percent of refunds last year. Overall, the IRS issued 110 million refunds, averaging $2,753 per refund; direct deposit refunds averaged $2,997 per refund.
Free File
More than 3 million taxpayers filed their tax returns for free through the IRS free file program. This year for the first time, taxpayers could also file directly to the IRS by completing a Form 1040 on IRS.gov; 273,000 taxpayers used this new way to file.
|
2009 FILING SEASON STATISTICS
|
|
Cumulative through the weeks ending 10/17/08 and 10/16/09
|
|
Individual Income Tax Returns
|
2008
|
2009
|
% Change
|
|
Total Receipts
|
153,650,000
|
141,376,000
|
-8.0%
|
|
Total Processed
|
152,759,000
|
140,718,000
|
-7.9%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
E-filing Receipts:
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL
|
89,853,000
|
94,980,000
|
5.7%
|
|
Tax Professionals
|
62,932,000
|
62,786,000
|
-0.23%
|
|
Self-prepared
|
26,921,000
|
32,193,000
|
19.6%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Web Usage:
|
|
|
|
|
Visits to IRS.gov
|
323,463,010
|
266,631,821
|
-17.57%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Refunds:
|
|
|
|
|
Number
|
106,200,000
|
110,071,000
|
3.6%
|
|
Amount
|
$251.827
|
Billion
|
$303.069
|
Billion
|
20.3%
|
|
Average refund
|
$2,371
|
$2,753
|
16.1%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Direct Deposit Refunds:
|
|
|
|
|
Number
|
66,240,000
|
72,717,000
|
9.8%
|
|
Amount
|
$179.708
|
Billion
|
$217.915
|
Billion
|
21.3%
|
|
Average refund
|
$2,713
|
$2,997
|
10.5%
|
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