‘Electronic IRS' launched to help taxpayers use e-file

Springfield - To mark the 20th anniversary of IRS e-file, the Internal Revenue Service has launched “Electronic IRS,” a centralized source for all IRS electronic options. Taxpayers and tax preparers who click on the Electronic IRS logo, located at IRS.gov, will be taken to a page that contains an overview of all electronic tasks that can be accomplished online. The agency expects to receive about 4.1 million tax returns from N.J. this year, with nearly 2 million opting to file electronically. Last year, more than 1.8 million tax returns were e-filed in the state. “Last year, more than half the nation’s taxpayers used IRS e-file,” said Mark W. Everson, IRS commissioner. “This year, we hope even more people will consider filing electronically. It’s the fastest, safest and most accurate way to file your tax return. “Electronic IRS provides a gateway to services for both taxpayers and tax preparers and makes these services available 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” Everson continued. Taxpayers who use IRS e-file and who choose direct deposit can receive their refund in half the time. E-file also allows taxpayers to file their return and pay later if they owe taxes, and it allows them to file both the federal and most state returns at the same time. The IRS began the e-file program in 1986 as a pilot project in three cities: Cincinnati, Ohio, Phoenix, Ariz., and Raleigh-Durham, N.C. That year, there were 25,000 tax returns filed electronically. Taxpayers may use IRS e-file through their tax preparer, over-the-counter software or Internet programs. The IRS does not charge for e-file, but some tax preparers and software manufactures may charge a fee. IRS “Free File,” a partnership between the IRS and some software manufacturers, will offer free tax preparation and e-filing for taxpayers earning $50,000 or less. It will be available later this month.