Taxpayers Filing Earlier and Banking Larger Refunds in 2009

Notice: Historical Content


This is an archival or historical document and may not reflect current law, policies or procedures.

IR-2009-20, March 6, 2009

WASHINGTON — Taxpayers are filing earlier and receiving larger refunds so far this year, according to early filing season statistics released today by the Internal Revenue Service.

As of Feb. 27, 2009, the IRS had received 56 million individual tax returns, a slight increase over the previous year. And, the average individual refund was $2,869, a 9 percent increase or $232 more than the same time last year.

The IRS notes that possible reasons for the larger refunds may include taxpayers benefiting from the recovery rebate credit and other tax breaks such as the first-time homebuyer credit and the additional standard deduction for real estate taxes. The average refund amount generally will decrease slightly as the filing season progresses.

More taxpayers choose to receive their refunds through direct deposit each year. As of Feb. 27, more than 84 percent of all refunds were issued through direct deposit, up from 81 percent for the same period last year.

While the IRS has issued almost 3 percent more refunds this year compared to the same time last year, the number of taxpayers who choose to receive their refunds quickly and safely through direct deposit is up almost 7 percent compared to the same time last year. On Feb. 27, the average direct deposit refund totaled $3,063.  

The IRS cautioned that year-to-year analysis of total returns filed will be an anomaly this year because last year’s results include those returns filed for the economic stimulus payment. As the year progresses, the IRS expects to receive and process more individual income tax returns during 2009 than in 2007 but fewer than in 2008.

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2009 FILING SEASON STATISTICS

 

Cumulative through the weeks ending Feb. 29, 2008 and Feb. 27, 2009 

 

Individual Income Tax Returns

  2008 

2009 

% Change

Total Receipts

  55,704,000

56,049,000

  0.6%

Total Processed

  51,240,000

  51,939,000

  1.4%

 

 

 

 

E-filing Receipts:

 

 

 

TOTAL

43,777,000

46,246,000

  5.6%

Tax Professionals

29,750,000

29,606,000

-0.5%

Self-prepared

14,027,000

16,640,000

18.6%

 

 

 

 

Web Usage:

 

 

 

Visits to IRS.gov

80,312,322 

105,204,812 

30.99%

 

 

 

 

Total Refunds:

 

 

 

Number

  46,539,000

  47,697,000

  2.5%

Amount

$122.716

Billion

$136.847

Billion

11.5%

Average refund

$2,637

$2,869

8.8%

 

 

 

 

Direct Deposit Refunds:

 

 

 

Number

37,748,000

40,257,000

6.6%

Amount

$107.955

Billion

$123.297

Billion

14.2%

Average refund

$2,860

$3,063

7.1%