More consumers send tax returns early as e-filing increases, IRS says

0 Comments | USA TODAY, March, 2008 | by Kevin McCoy

More than 38 million Americans filed electronic federal tax returns in the first two months of the year, a 5% increase from 2007, the IRS said Monday in the first statistics of this tax season.

Filers who prepared their own taxes and transmitted them from home computers accounted for more than 12.3 million of the electronic returns, up nearly 14% from last year, the data showed.

"E-filing continues to be the preferred way to file your tax return," said IRS Acting Commissioner Linda Stiff, stressing the agency's continuing effort to shift filing from paper to computer.

Taxpayers are sending more money to Washington -- and getting more back -- the initial filing data showed. The number of refunds processed so far was up 2%, to 39.4 million. The dollar...