Tax returns continued to fall further behind 2022 results with the release of statistics for the season through April 7. The Internal Revenue Service said it received 101,320,000 for the returns, 1.9 percent down from 103,315,000 the season through April 8, 2022.
The gap on efiles also widened a bit, down 1.5 percent to 97,831,000 for this season as reported from 99,290,000 a year ago.
Efiles submitted by pros remained above last year’s totals—but barely—as the 53,165,000 received through April 7 were only .3 percent above 53,018,000 in last year’s corresponding period. Self-prepared efiles of 44,666,000 were 3.5 percent behind 46,272,000 a year earlier.
Refunds also remain behind last year’s totals with 69,095,000 issued this year down 1.3 percent from 70,040,000. The average refund improved slightly to $2,878, off 9.3 percent from $3,175 a year ago, but better than in prior reports.
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