Tax Pros Keep Edge in E-Filings

Chart of IRS filing statistics for the week ending March 9, 2018The IRS server load shows no signs of easing.

By Beth Bellor
CPA Trendlines

CPAs are marking the days until the end of busy season and over on the receiving side, the wheels keep turning.

MORE ON TAX SEASON:  Half of E-Filings Go Through Tax Pros | David Bergstein on Tax Season | Tax Accountants Fill the Breach of a Failing IRS | New Tax Law Roils Busy Season 2018 | Beware the EZ Way Out | When Clients Face ‘Unreal’ IRS Audits | Underfunded IRS Swamped with Problems

As of March 9, the latest data available, the IRS had received 69.5 million individual income tax returns, up 0.1 percent from the same period in 2017. It had processed 67.2 million returns, down 0.2 percent.

The processing rate for returns was 96.7 percent.

E-filings totaled 65.3 million, up 0.5 percent. Tax professionals filed 33.5 million of those, up 1.8 percent, and 31.8 million were self-prepared, up 3 percent. READ MORE →

Half of E-Filings Go Through Tax Pros

IRS filing data for week ending March 2, 2018Direct deposits down from their usual range.

By Beth Bellor
CPA Trendlines

With a full month of tax filings in the books, there aren’t any surprises.

MORE ON TAX SEASON:  IRS E-Filing Stats Approaching 2017 Levels | Tax Accountants Fill the Breach of a Failing IRS | Artificial Intelligence Gets a Boost with Tax Reforms | Tax Pros Keep Gaining in 2018 | New Tax Law Roils Busy Season 2018 | Tax Pros Gain Slight Ground in E-Filings | Tax Pros Turning in Only 39% of E-Filings | Beware the EZ Way Out  | IRS #FAILs at Online Services Spell Problems for Professionals | Can the IRS Improve Its Phone Service? | When Clients Face ‘Unreal’ IRS Audits | IRS Warns about Private Debt Collectors for Tax Season 2018 | Underfunded IRS Swamped with Problems
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By the end of week 5 on March 2, the IRS had received 61.2 million individual income tax returns, up 0.1 percent from the same period last year. It had processed 59 million, down 0.1 percent.
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IRS E-Filing Stats Approaching 2017 Levels

Chart of IRS filing data for the week ended Feb. 23, 2018Tax pros continue to increase their share of the market.

By Beth Bellor
CPA Trendlines

Taxpayers are keeping the IRS hopping.

MORE ON TAX SEASON:  Tax Accountants Fill the Breach of a Failing IRS | Artificial Intelligence Gets a Boost with Tax Reforms | New Tax Law Roils Busy Season 2018 | Beware the EZ Way Out  | IRS #FAILs at Online Services Spell Problems for Professionals
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Even with six fewer days so far, the number of individual income tax returns filed in 2018 had nearly met 2017 levels by the end of week 4.
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Tax Pros Keep Gaining in 2018

Chart of IRS filing data for the week ending Feb. 16, 2018Direct deposit ticks up, IRS processing dips.

By Beth Bellor
CPA Trendlines

Three weeks into the filing season, tax professionals are starting to carve out a larger share of electronic filings.

MORE ON TAX SEASON:  New Tax Law Roils Busy Season 2018 | Tax Pros Gain Slight Ground in E-Filings | IRS #FAILs at Online Services Spell Problems for Professionals | IRS Warns about Private Debt Collectors for Tax Season 2018
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The IRS had received 41.7 million individual income tax returns as of Feb. 16, the end of the third week of filing. That was down 1.8 percent from Feb. 17, 2017, but there have been six fewer filing days this year so we’re holding up apples to pencil sharpeners in comparison.
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Is Your Tax Workflow Digital Yet?

Pixelated blue text "workflow" on binary code backgroundMake sure it’s not just your admins using the tools.

By Roman H. Kepczyk

The most important aspect of transitioning the firm’s tax process to a digital environment is managing electronic files that are no longer physically viewable in assorted stacks around the office.

MORE ON TECH SPENDING: Be Strict About Document Retention | Document Management Requires Firm Standards | Why Unified Messaging Matters | Get in Front of Application Updates | Why You Need Offsite Backup
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Refunds Up, Filings Down at End of Tax Season 2017

IRS filing season data for week ending April 21, 2017
IRS filing season data for week ending April 21, 2017

 

Pros keep the edge in e-filings and some people just won’t give up paper.

By Beth Bellor
CPA Trendlines

A season of down notes for individual income tax returns ended the same way.

MORE TAX SEASON DATA: With 4 Days Left, Tax Stats Were Still Down | Refunds Edge Up as Tax Season Winds Down  | Tax Refunds Catching Up to Last Year | Tax Professionals Accelerate Filing Pace as Busy Season Heads for the Home Stretch | Individual Tax Filings Still Lag Behind 2016 | Tax Pros Filing Only 51% of E-Returns | Tax Refunds Up Slightly | Tax Filings Data Looking Less Squirrely | Tax Return Filings Still Lag, But Pros Hold 57% of Market | Tax Filings Down, but IRS Blames the Calendar
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Data for the week ending April 21, the week in which the filing deadline fell, was just released and it paints the same picture we’ve seen since January: overall returns and e-filings down, with refunds the only scant positives.
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With 4 Days Left, Tax Stats Were Still Down

Chart of IRS filing data for week ending April 14, 2017
[Click for larger image]

Pros move ahead in e-filings.

By Beth Bellor
CPA Trendlines

With only days left to go in the 2017 tax season, the Internal Revenue Service still was seeing most statistics land below 2016 levels.

MORE TAX SEASON DATA: Refunds Edge Up as Tax Season Winds Down  | Tax Refunds Catching Up to Last Year | Tax Professionals Accelerate Filing Pace as Busy Season Heads for the Home Stretch | Individual Tax Filings Still Lag Behind 2016 | Tax Pros Filing Only 51% of E-Returns | Tax Refunds Up Slightly | Tax Filings Data Looking Less Squirrely | Tax Return Filings Still Lag, But Pros Hold 57% of Market | Tax Filings Down, but IRS Blames the Calendar
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According to data from the week ending April 14, the latest available, the only figures on the positive side remained total refunds and average refund per taxpayer.
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Refunds Edge Up as Tax Season Winds Down

IRS filing statistics for week ending April 7, 2017

Pros hold on to 57% of e-filings.

By Beth Bellor
CPA Trendlines

The nationwide refund pool crept into positive territory, joining average refunds as the only statistics on the plus side.

MORE TAX SEASON DATA: Tax Refunds Catching Up to Last Year | Tax Professionals Accelerate Filing Pace as Busy Season Heads for the Home Stretch | Individual Tax Filings Still Lag Behind 2016 | Tax Pros Filing Only 51% of E-Returns | Tax Refunds Up Slightly | Tax Filings Data Looking Less Squirrely
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The data are for the week ending April 7, the latest available.
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