Efiled tax returns submitted by professional preparers fell significantly behind the year ago totals in the latest tax season results. Figures from the Internal Revenue Service this week for the season through March 3 show the number of professional filed returns were 11.5 percent behind the total for last year’s season through March 5.The prior report for the season through March 27 was the first from the IRS that reflected the COVID-19-influenced delay of the tax season filing deadline from April 15 through July 15. Total returns for that period, compared to the equivalent time in 2019, were off by 2.4 percent
Total returns for 2020 of 97,366,000 were down 5.9 percent from last year’s corresponding period. Total efiles were 91,448,000, a decrease of 5.6 percent from 96,844,000 for the compared period in 2019.
Paid preparers submitted 47,672,000 through March 3, a drop from 53,839,000. Self-prepared efiles remained ahead of 2019 totals, but the difference narrowed sharply. There were 43,776,000 for the period report this year, an increase of 1.8 percent from 43,005,000 for 2019 through March 25.
Refund totals also fell behind last year’s pace. This year, the IRS has issued 74,055,000 refunds, a decline of 5 percent from 77,925,000 a year earlier. The average return rose 1.6 percent to $2,878 from $2,833.
