The season's highest increase before this was in early March when returns crept up .1 percent over 2019 total. But then the coronavirus shutdowns hit

There were 147,142,000 received for the cumulative period of 2020, compared to 144,789,000 in the prior year’s corresponding period.  But with the IRS not processing 4.5 million paper returns at last report, a significant backlog remains. The agency processed 134,603,000 returns through July 10, down 7 percent from 144,789,000 a year ago.

Efiled returns were also up, reaching 133,174,000 , an increase of 1.9 percent from 130,725,000

in last year’s corresponding period. That was owing to a 13.4-percent rise in self-prepared returns, reaching 64,253,000from 56,652,000.  The 68,921,000 efiles from paid professionals were 7 percent lower than 74,073,000 for the corresponding period last year.

The IRS issued 96,798,000 refunds through July 10, a decline of 8.4 percent from 105,635,000 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