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IRS to Host Another Round of Open Houses, Releases Latest Filing Statistics

MAR. 23, 2011

IR-2011-28

DATED MAR. 23, 2011
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Citations: IR-2011-28
IRS Holds Saturday Open House on March 26 to Help Taxpayers

 

March 23, 2011

 

 

WASHINGTON -- The Internal Revenue Service announced today that nearly 100 IRS offices will be open on Saturday, March 26, to help taxpayers. The location of participating offices is listed on IRS.gov.

"We are opening our doors this Saturday to help taxpayers who may not have a chance to seek assistance during the work week," said IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman. "We are very focused on providing services to taxpayers when they want it, where they want it."

On Saturday, March 26, the IRS offices will be open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time. IRS staff will be on site to help taxpayers. More than 35,000 taxpayers attended similar events last year resolving more than 95 percent of their issues.

During the open-house hours, IRS personnel will be available to provide services such as tax return preparation, assist with account questions and help with a variety of other issues.

In addition to IRS help, community organizations partner with the IRS. Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) programs assist people who earned $49,000 or less, and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) programs assist individuals age 60 and over with their 2010 income tax return preparation and electronic filing. Many of these sites have Saturday hours while others offer assistance at various times during the week. Taxpayers can call 800-906-9887 to locate partner sites in their area.

In addition to the open house on Saturday, March 26, the IRS expects to open many of its offices on two additional Saturdays later this year.

 

* * *

 

 

[The individual income tax filing statistics for the weeks ending March 11, 2011 and March 18, 2011 are provided below.]

                         2011 FILING SEASON STATISTICS

 

 

           Cumulative through the weeks ending 03/12/10 and 03/11/11

 

 _____________________________________________________________________________

 

 

 Individual Income Tax

 

 Returns                          2010               2011          % Change

 

 _____________________________________________________________________________

 

 

 Total Receipts                68,743,000         68,195,000         -0.8%

 

 Total Processed               64,294,000         66,159,000          2.9%

 

 

 E-filing Receipts:

 

 

 TOTAL                         56,802,000         59,948,000          5.5%

 

 Tax Professionals             35,510,000         36,840,000          3.7%

 

 Self-prepared                 21,293,000         23,108,000          8.5%

 

 

 Web Usage:

 

 

 Visits to IRS.gov            120,071,838        131,128,908           9.2

 

 

 Total Refunds:

 

 

 Number                        57,779,000         59,005,000          2.1%

 

 Amount                    $175.415 Billion    $178.356 Billion       1.7%

 

 Average refund                  $3,036             $3,023           -0.4%

 

 

 Direct Deposit Refunds:

 

 

 Number                       47,893,000          49,896,000          4.2%

 

 Amount                    $154.801 Billion    $159.080 Billion       2.8%

 

 Average refund                 $3,232              $3,188           -1.4%

 

 

                         2011 FILING SEASON STATISTICS

 

 

           Cumulative through the weeks ending 03/19/10 and 03/18/11

 

 _____________________________________________________________________________

 

 

 Individual Income Tax

 

 Returns                          2010               2011          % Change

 

 _____________________________________________________________________________

 

 

 Total Receipts               75,561,000          75,271,000         -0.4%

 

 Total Processed              70,948,000          73,342,000          3.4%

 

 

 E-filing Receipts:

 

 

 TOTAL                        61,650,000          65,538,000          6.3%

 

 Tax Professionals            38,898,000          40,772,000          4.8%

 

 Self-prepared                22,752,000          24,766,000          8.9%

 

 

 Web Usage:

 

 

 Visits to IRS.gov           130,831,659         141,297,472           8.0

 

 

 Total Refunds:

 

 

 Number                       63,255,000          64,672,000          2.2%

 

 Amount                    $190.027 Billion    $193.055 Billion       1.6%

 

 Average refund                 $3,004              $2,985           -0.6%

 

 

 Direct Deposit Refunds:

 

 

 Number                       51,392,000          53,736,000          4.6%

 

 Amount                    $165.157 Billion    $170.011 Billion       2.9%

 

 Average refund                 $3,214              $3,164           -1.6%
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