The finally totals are not in yet but through April 12, the number of returns received by the Internal Revenue Service were 1.9 percent higher than 2023 through April 14. That compared to this season’s total through April 5. running up .5 percent over the year ago figures.In its most recent report, the IRS reported receiving 119,592,000 returns, compared to 117,321,000 in last year’s corresponding period.
Buoyed by a jump in self-prepared returns, the number of efiles were 2.2-percent higher than a year earlier, with 115,734,000 total efiles submitted, compared to 113,201,000 a year ago. There were52,416,000 efiles, up from 51,027,000.
Undoubtedly with balance due returns coming in in larger numbers at season’s end, the efiles submitted by paid preparers exceeded the 2023 totals for the first time. For the April 5 report, the efiles from pros were down a few thousands from a year. For the most recently ended period, there were 63,318,000 efiles from tax preparers, running 1.8 percent higher than 62,174,000 in last corresponding period.
Total returns, which have lagged last year’s number all season, closed to within down 1.5 percent of the 2023 numbers with 74,685,000 refunds issued through April 12, compared to75,824,000 in last year’s corresponding period.
The average refund, higher than 2023 totals for all the weekly reports, was $3,031, an increase of 4.4 percent of $2,902 a year ago.
