e-filings are nearly evenly split between the pros and the amateurs.
by beth bellor
the gloomy season continues. the irs is slower than ever before, the tax cuts and jobs act didn’t simplify our lives, and after all the work we put in, we face clients who are upset about their refunds. everyone got an eye on their countdowns?
the internal revenue service had received 67.7 million individual income tax returns as of march 8, the latest data available, down 2.5 percent from the same period in 2018. it had processed 65.3 million returns, down 2.8 percent.
the return processing rate stood at 96.5 percent.
e-filings
the agency has received 64.3 million e-filed returns, down 1.5 percent. tax professionals handled 32 million e-filings, down 4.6 percent, and self-preparers turned in 32.4 million, up 1.8 percent.
do-it-yourselfers held the edge in e-filings but barely at 50.3 percent.
e-filings make up 94.9 percent of all filings.
website visits
visits to irs.gov at 298.6 million were up 11.8 percent.
refunds
refunds numbered 53.5 million, down 3.3 percent, and totaled $160.9 billion, down 3.2 percent. the average refund of $3,068 was up 0.7 percent.
direct deposit refunds numbered 49.3 million, down 0.1 percent, and totaled $153.3 billion, down 0.7 percent. the average direct deposit refund of $3,107 was down 0.6 percent.
direct deposit accounts for 92.2 percent of refunds. the average refund is 1.3 percent higher by direct deposit than by paper.