Income Tax Return Statistics

Important: This page will be updated with more 2018 efiling statistics as the IRS makes the information available.

The IRS has reported that as of May 2018, about 126,040,000 million tax returns were efiled for Tax Year 2017. There has been a steady increase in the number of tax returns that are efiled each year. The ever-growing trend among taxpayers to efile is shown in the charts below.

eFilers versus Paper Filers

United States taxpayers who self prepare and efile their own tax returns has continued to grow. In 2018 (for Tax Year 2017), over 53,929,000 million taxpayers have prepared and efiled their federal tax returns themselves as of May 2018.
Tax Refunds via Direct Bank Deposit: As of May 2018, over 85,297,000 million taxpayers have received faster federal tax refunds via direct bank deposits into bank accounts through electronic bank transfers. The average tax refund received by direct deposit is $2,940.

e-file Tax Return Statistics (by Tax Year)

Year Filed	Total Returns	efiled Tax Returns	Percent efiled
2018**	141,531,000	126,040,000	92%
2017*	145,070,000	127,277,000	92%
2016	152,544,000	131,851,000	92%
2015	150,927,00	128,784,000	91%
2014	149,684,000	125,821,000	86.02%
2013	148,197,000	114,422,000	84.69%
2012	135,473,000	112,089,000	82.74%
2011	145,320,000	112,203,000	77.21%
2010	141,536,000	98,740,000	69.76%
2009	141,376,000	94,980,000	67.18%
2008	153,650,000	89,853,000	58.48%
2007	140,188,000	79,979,000	57.05%
2006	136,071,000	73,255,000	53.84%
2005	133,933,000	68,476,000	51.13%
2004	132,200,000	61,507,000	46.53%
2003	131,557,000	52,944,000	40.24%
2002	131,728,000	46,892,000	35.60%
2001	130,965,000	40,244,000	30.73%

**As of May 11, 2018

*As of September 1, 2017

2018 Tax Season (2017 Tax Year) efile Statistics

(Cumulative through May 12, 2017, and May 11, 2018)

Individual Income Tax Returns	2017	2018	% Change
Total Receipts	139,586,000	141,531,000	1.4
Total Processed	134,192,000	135,883,000	1.3
efiling Receipts:
Total	123,634,000	126,040,000	1.9
Tax Professionals	71,463,000	72,111,000	0.9
Self-prepared	52,171,000	53,929,000	3.4
Total Refunds:
Number	102,863,000	102,582,000	-0.3
Amount	$284.862 Bill.	$284.927 Bill.	0.0
Average refund	$2,769	$2,778	0.3
Direct Deposit Refunds:
Number	85,067,000	85,297,000	0.3
Amount	$250.081 Bill.	$250.732 Bill.	0.3
Average refund	$2,940	$2,940	0.0

2017 Tax Season (2016 Tax Year) efile Statistics

(Cumulative through April 22, 2016, and April 21, 2017)

Individual Income Tax Returns	2016	2017	% Change
Total Receipts	136,528,000	135,638,000	-0.7
Total Processed	129,456,000	128,789,000	-0.5
efiling Receipts:
Total	122,546,000	122,164,000	-0.3
Tax Professionals	70,864,000	70,401,000	-0.7
Self-prepared	51,682,000	51,763,000	0.2
Total Refunds:
Number	97,079,000	97,104,000	0.0
Amount	$263.197 Bill.	$268.296 Bill.	1.9
Average refund	$2,711	$2,763	1.9
Direct Deposit Refunds:
Number	81,221,000	81,646,000	0.5
Amount	$234.269 Bill.	239.410 Bill.	2.2
Average refund	$2,884	$2,932	1.7

2016 Tax Season (2015 Tax Year) efile Statistics

(Cumulative through December 25, 2015 and December 30, 2016)

Individual Income Tax Returns	2015	2016	% Change
Total Receipts	150,991,000	152,544,000	1.0
Total Processed	150,727,000	152,250,000	1.0
efiling Receipts:
Total	128,784,000	131,851,000	2.4
Tax Professionals	78,406,000	78,736,000	0.4
Self-prepared	50,378,000	53,115,000	5.4
Total Refunds:
Number	109,426,000	111,069,000	1.5
Amount	$306.016 Bill.	$317.615 Bill.	3.8
Average refund	$2,797	$2,860	2.3
Direct Deposit Refunds:
Number	86,228,000	88,416,000	2.5
Amount	$254.944 Bill.	$264.822 Bill.	3.9
Average refund	$2,957	$2,995	1.3

2015 Tax Season (2014 Tax Year) efile Statistics

(Cumulative through December 26, 2014, and December 25, 2015)

Individual Income Tax Returns	2014	2015	% Change
Total Receipts	149,685,000	150,927,000	0.8%
Total Processed	149,510,000	150,694,000	0.8%
efiling Receipts:
Total	125,821,000	128,784,000	2.4%
Tax Professionals	77,875,000	78,406,000	0.7%
Self-prepared	47,946,000	50,378,000	5.1%
Total Refunds:
Number	109,499,000	109,426,000	-0.1%
Amount	$305.734 Bill.	$306.016 Bill.	0.1%
Average refund	$2,792	$2,797	0.2%
Direct Deposit Refunds:
Number	83,995,000	86,228,000	2.7%
Amount	$245.088 Bill.	$254.944 Bill.	4.0%
Average refund	$2,918	$2,957	1.3%

2014 Tax Season (2013 Tax Year) efile Statistics

(Cumulative through Dec. 27, 2013, and Dec. 26, 2014)

Individual Income Tax Returns	2013	2014	% Change
Total Receipts	148,197,000	149,684,000	1.0%
Total Processed	147,910,000	149,510,000	1.1%
efiling Receipts:
Total	122,515,000	125,821,000	2.7%
Tax Professionals	77,268,000	77,875,000	0.8%
Self-prepared	45,247,000	47,946,000	6.0%
Total Refunds:
Number	109,563,000	109,499,000	-0.1%
Amount	$301.836 Bill.	$305.734 Bill.	1.3%
Average refund	$2,755	$2,792	1.4%
Direct Deposit Refunds:
Number	83,836,000	83,995,000	0.2%
Amount	$245.596 Bill.	$245.088 Bill.	-0.02%
Average refund	$2,929	$2,918	-0.4%

2013 Tax Season (2012 Tax Year) efile Statistics

(Cumulative through Dec. 28, 2012, and Dec. 27, 2013)

Individual Income Tax Returns	2012	2013	% Change
Total Receipts	148,203,000	148,035,000	-0.1%
Total Processed	147,697,000	147,725,000	0.02%
efiling Receipts:
Total	119,560,000	122,515,000	2.5%
Tax Professionals	76,322,000	77,268,000	1.2%
Self-prepared	43,238,000	45,247,000	4.6%
Total Refunds:
Number	110,471,000	109,563,000	-0.8%
Amount	$309.648 Bill.	$301.863 Bill.	-2.5%
Average refund	$2,803	$2,755	-1.7%
Direct Deposit Refunds:
Number	82,809,000	83,814,000	1.2%
Amount	$247.1269 Bill.	$245.464 Bill.	-0.7%
Average refund	$2,984	$2,929	-1.9%

2012 Tax Season (2011 Tax Year) efile Statistics

(Cumulative through Dec. 30, 2011, and Dec. 03, 2012)

Individual Income Tax Returns	2011	2012	% Change
Total Receipts	145,320,000	148,390,000	+2.1%
Total Processed	145,062,000	147,891,000	+1.9%
efiling Receipts:
Total	112,203,000	119,589,000	+6.6%
Tax Professionals	72,403,000	76,019,000	5.0%
Self-prepared	33,998,000	38,272,000	+12.6%
Total Refunds:
Number	101,820,000	102,728,000	+0.9%
Amount	$293.263 Bill.	$288.151 Bill.	-1.7%
Average refund	$2,880	$2,805	-2.6%
Direct Deposit Refunds:
Number	72,056,000	76,276,000	+5.9%
Amount	$226.061 Bill.	$232.312 Bill.	+2.8%
Average refund	$3,137	$3,046	-2.9%

2011 Tax Season (2010 Tax Year) efile Statistics

(Cumulative through Jun. 06, 2010, and Jun. 03, 2011)

Individual Income Tax Returns	2010	2011	% Change
Total Receipts	132,050,000	133,808,000	+1.3%
Total Processed	129,054,000	132,530,000	+2.7%
efiling Receipts:
Total	94,604,000	106,233,000	+12.3%
Tax Professionals	60,607,000	67,962,000	+12.1%
Self-prepared	39,800,000	43,570,000	+9.4%
Total Refunds:
Number	109,330,000	110,471,000	+1.0%
Amount	$318.529 Bill.	$309.648 Bill.	-2.8%
Average refund	$2,913	$2,803	-3.8%
Direct Deposit Refunds:
Number	79,146,000	82,827,000	+4.7%
Amount	$246.080 Bill.	$247.209 Bill.	+0.5%
Average refund	$3,109	$2,985	-4.0%

2010 Tax Season (2009 Tax Year) efile Statistics

(Cumulative through Nov. 06, 2009, and Nov. 05, 2010)

Individual Income Tax Returns	2009	2010	% Change
Total Receipts	143,529,000	141,536,000	-1.4%
Total Processed	143,079,000	141,536,000	-1.4%
efiling Receipts:
Total	95,478,000	98,740,000	3.4%
Tax Professionals	63,285,000	63,893,000	1.0%
Self-prepared	32,193,000	34,847,000	8.2%
Total Refunds:
Number	111,163,000	108,923,000	-2.0%
Amount	$315.290 Bill.	$326.125 Bill.	3.4%
Average refund	$2,836	$2,994	5.6%
Direct Deposit Refunds:
Number	72,982,000	74,460,000	2.0%
Amount	$220.250 Bill.	$237.444 Bill.	7.8%
Average refund	$3,018	$3,189	5.7%

Cut down on unclaimed checks and get a faster tax refund by using efile and choosing direct deposit!