More Than One Billion Individual Income Tax Returns Submitted Via Electronic Filing Since '86

More than one billion individual income tax returns have been submitted via electronic filing since '86, IRS announced on June 9. (IR 2011-64) IRS e-file kicked off as a pilot project in '86 and became available nationwide in '90. During the 2011 filing season, the number of e-filed returns topped 100 million. “IRS e-file is a good deal for taxpayers,” said IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman, adding that “the one billion milestone means e-file has delivered real services to taxpayers, including faster refunds and more accurate tax returns.” According to IRS, an e-file return costs the agency 20 times less to process than a paper return. Taxpayers can e-file through their tax preparers, through commercial tax preparation software, or through the Free File program.