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.

Bob Scott

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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