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February 24, 2000
Taxpayers Can E-File Federal & State Returns Together
WASHINGTON - While taxpayers filing paper returns have to be sure they don’t
mix up their federal and state tax forms, those who file electronically can let a computer
do that work for them. In most places, e-filers can send their federal and state returns
in a single transmission of data. More than six million taxpayers have already done so,
an increase of 30 percent over this time last year.
Federal/state e-filers usually send both returns through a transmitter to the
Internal Revenue Service, which then forwards the state return information to the state
tax agencies for their processing. In four states -- California, Maine, Massachusetts
and Minnesota -- the transmitters electronically route the federal and state data to the
respective agencies. Only two states with income taxes do not offer computer filing for
state returns -- Hawaii and Vermont -- but both may join the IRS Federal/State e-file
program next year.
Taxpayers can e-file their federal/state combo either through tax professionals or
from their home computers. Many of the volunteer sites under the IRS-sponsored
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance or Tax Counseling for the Elderly programs offer free
e-filing for those who come to them. Taxpayers can locate volunteer sites in their
communities by calling the IRS at 1-800-829-1040.
Our partnership with the states gives taxpayers the same benefits for their state
tax returns -- greater accuracy, faster refunds and an acknowledgment of filing -- that
they enjoy for their federal returns, said Robert Barr, IRS Assistant Commissioner for
Electronic Tax Administration. Taxpayers are responding strongly and positively to the
electronic tax options the IRS and the state tax agencies are offering.
Twenty-eight states and the District of Columbia also offer telephone filing for
their returns. Two of them -- Indiana and Kentucky -- are again partnering with the IRS
to offer their taxpayers a joint federal/state TeleFile.
As of Feb. 18, the IRS had received 18.4 million e-filed returns, 57 percent of all
returns received. The IRS has processed $43.2 billion in refunds for 22.8 million
taxpayers. At $1,893, the average refund is six percent higher than this time last year.
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EDITORS ’ NOTE: States participating in e-filing programs are listed below
FEDERAL/STATE COMPUTER FILING TO THE IRS
Alabama Illinois Missouri Oklahoma
Arizona Indiana Montana Oregon
Arkansas Iowa Nebraska Pennsylvania
Colorado Kansas New Jersey Rhode Island
Connecticut Kentucky New Mexico South Carolina
Delaware Louisiana New York Utah
Dist. Columbia Maryland North Carolina Virginia
Georgia Michigan North Dakota West Virginia
Idaho Mississippi Ohio Wisconsin
FEDERAL/STATE TELEFILING TO THE IRS
Indiana Kentucky
COMPUTER FILING DIRECTLY TO STATE TAX AGENCIES
California * Massachusetts
Illinois Minnesota *
Maine * New York *
Maryland *
[* also receiving returns through the IRS federal/state e-filing program ]
TELEFILING DIRECTLY TO STATE TAX AGENCIES
Arkansas Illinois Minnesota Pennsylvania
California Iowa Mississippi South Carolina
Colorado Kansas Missouri Utah
Connecticut Louisiana Montana Vermont
Delaware Maine Nebraska Virginia
Dist. Columbia Massachusetts New Jersey Wisconsin
Idaho Michigan Ohio
2000 FILING SEASON STATISTICS
Cumulative through the week ending 2/19/99 and 2/18/00
1999 2000 % Change
Individual Income Tax Returns
Total Receipts 31,545,000 32,237,000 2.2
Total Processed 21,318,000 24,827,000 16.5
E-filing Receipts:
TOTAL 16,217,000 18,432,000 13.7
TeleFile (phone) 3,512,000 3,140,000 -10.6
Computer 12,705,000 15,292,000 20.4
Tax Professionals 11,862,000 13,547,000 14.2
Self-prepared 843,000 1,745,000 107.0
Refunds Certified by the Martinsburg Computing Center:
Number 19,644,000 22,828,000 16.2
Amount of principal $35.052 b. $43.205 b. 23.3
Average refund $1784 $1893 6.1
Direct Deposit Refunds:
Number 11,588,000 14,167,000 22.3
Amount $25.580 b. $32.215 b. 25.9
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