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IR-2006-67, April 25, 2006

Washington ¡ª The Internal Revenue Service announced today the recently completed 2006 filing season set a series of records, highlighted by 70 million tax returns being filed electronically this year and home computer usage jumping 18 percent.

The jump in e-file reflected a larger increase in the use of electronic services. The IRS saw new records for in filings from home computers and the use of IRS.gov.

¡°We saw a surge of e-filing at the end of the tax season, particularly with people using software on home computers. Compared to recent years, we had much more e-filing in the weeks leading up to the deadline, signaling that more balance due filers are embracing this service,¡± said IRS Commissioner Mark W. Everson. ¡°Overall, we received more tax returns electronically this year than the number of paper returns we processed for the entire United States in 1966. E-file is changing the way the nation does taxes.¡±

¡°E-filing complemented the hard work of IRS workers, tax professionals and tax volunteers during the tax season,¡± Everson said. ¡°I¡¯d like to thank these people for their hard work and dedication.¡±

The 70 million e-file returns accepted through April 21 topped the 68.5 million electronic returns received for all of 2005. The agency expects the e-file number to increase before the close of the e-file season in October. Taxpayers who filed for extensions can use e-file until Oct. 16.

Through April 21, 2006, the IRS had received:

• 70 million returns through IRS e-file ¡ª up 6 percent from the same time last year.
• Almost 20 million taxpayers filed from a home computer ¡ª up 18 percent from the same time last year and almost 3 million more than for all of 2005. The IRS will continue to receive returns filed from home computers until October 16.
• 50 million returns from tax professionals, up 9 percent from the same period last year.

By April 21, the IRS had issued 85 million refunds averaging $2,237 per refund. More than 60 percent ¡ª 53 million ¡ª were issued through direct deposit, representing a 7 percent increase from last year. Direct deposit gets refunds to the taxpayer a week sooner than issuing a check.

Usage of IRS.gov, this filing season climbed more than 7 percent. So far this year, there have been 122 million visits to IRS.gov, up from 113 million for the same period last year.  [Note: Attached are the filing season statistics for the week ending April 21, 2006.]

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