The number of returns filed during the 2024 tax season continue to close the gap on those filed in the 2023, the last statistics from the Internal Revenue Service show. There were 71,587,000 filed through March 17, .4-percent lower than the 71,861,000 filed for last year’s period through March 15.
Efiles tightened the count, off .3 percent for the season as reported, to 69,543,000 from 69,774,000 in last year’s corresponding period.
Self-prepared efiles, which barely surpassed the 2023 totals in the prior statistical report, came in at 31,521,00, .4-percent higher than the 31,498,000 DIY efiles reported through March 15 last year. There were 34,880,000 efiles from paid preparers, 1-percent lower than than the 35,239,000 from the pros a year ago.
The total number of returns issued, 49,145,000 through March 15, gained significantly on last year, but remained 8.8-percent lower than the 53,912,000 a year earlier. The size of the average refund continued to rise, as it has throughout the season, reaching $3,109, an increase of 6 percent over $2,933 a year ago.
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
