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 used e-file 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 filing their returns 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 at least 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.
