The gap between 2023 and 2022 filings continued to grow with the number of returns received through April 1, down 1.3 percent from the season through March 31, 2022. The Interna Revenue Service reported last week there were 90,111,000 through the 2023 season’s latest report, compared to 91,260,000 a year ago.
Efiles also slipped further behind the year ago totals, led once again by the decline in number of self-submitted efiles. The 87,126,000 total efiles as of April were .8 percent down 87,869,000.
Efiles from paid preparers remained ahead of last year, but only are 1.3 percent over the totals for last year’s corresponding period. Pros submitted 46,517,000 files, up from 45,901,000. There were 40,609,000 DIY efiles submitted, off 3.2 percent from 46,517,000 a year ago.
Refunds remained behind 2022 totals with the 62,932,000 issued by the IRS down .7 percent from 63,357,000 a year earlier. The average refund was down 10.1 percent to $2,970 from $3,303.
Bob Scott has provided information to the tax and accounting community since 1991, first as technology editor of Accounting Today, and from 1997 through 2009 as editor of its sister publication, Accounting Technology. He is known throughout the industry for his depth of knowledge and for his high journalistic standards. Scott has made frequent appearances as a speaker, moderator and panelist and events serving tax and accounting professionals. He has a strong background in computer journalism as an editor with two former trade publications, Computer+Software News and MIS Week and spent several years with weekly and daily newspapers in Morris County New Jersey prior to that. A graduate of Indiana University with a degree in journalism, Bob is a native of Madison, Ind