As tax season arrives each year, Americans eagerly anticipate updates on federal income tax filings. These statistics not only impact personal financial planning but also reflect broader trends in national tax revenue. The latest 2020 filing season data reveals several noteworthy changes compared to 2019 figures.

Filing Overview

Through March 13, 2020, the Internal Revenue Service received 76,191,000 individual income tax returns , marking a modest 0.4% increase from the 75,881,000 returns filed during the same period in 2019. While processing volume remained essentially flat at 73,497,000 returns (a 0.0% change ), the data suggests processing efficiency remained stable despite increased filing volume.

Electronic Filing Trends

Electronic filing continues to dominate taxpayer preferences. In 2020, 72,309,000 returns were submitted electronically, representing a 0.7% increase over 2019. Notably, self-prepared electronic filings rose 2.9% to 35,973,000, while professionally prepared electronic filings declined 1.4% to 36,336,000. This shift suggests growing taxpayer confidence in digital tools for independent filing.

Digital Engagement

IRS.gov saw 345,662,000 visits during the 2020 filing season, a 7.8% surge from 2019. This significant increase reflects heightened demand for digital tax resources and self-service tools among American taxpayers.

Refund Statistics

The IRS processed 59,235,000 refunds in 2020, a 1.1% decrease from 2019. Total refund dollars amounted to $176.086 billion ( 0.6% lower ), while the average refund climbed 0.5% to $2,973 .

Direct Deposit Patterns

Direct deposit refunds showed an interesting divergence: while the number of direct deposit refunds fell 5.9% to 51,456,000, the average direct deposit amount increased 1.3% to $3,105 . This suggests that while fewer taxpayers opted for direct deposit, those who did received slightly larger refunds.

The 2020 filing season statistics reveal evolving taxpayer behaviors amid stable processing metrics. The continued growth of digital filing options and online resources appears to be reshaping how Americans engage with the tax system, while refund patterns reflect broader economic conditions affecting household finances.