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| New record: Department of Revenue receives 1 millionth e-filed tax return | ||
| 04/24/2008 | ||
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SALEM—Oregon taxpayers hit a milestone this month: More than 1 million individual taxpayers have electronically filed their 2007 tax returns—the most in one year since e-filing started in 1993. The millionth e-filed tax return was filed by a taxpayer from Cannon Beach on April 15. So far this year, 64 percent of all returns have been filed electronically. To date, the department has received 1.6 million 2007 tax returns; department officials say they expect to process more than 1.8 million. “Every year, more Oregonians recognize the ease, convenience, and security that e-filing offers,” said Oregon Department of Revenue Director Elizabeth Harchenko. Last year, the department processed 1.76 million returns. Of those, 983,000—56 percent—were e-filed. Revenue began offering e-filing in 1993 as a pilot project to professional tax preparers. Between 1994 and 1997, the number of e-filed returns tripled from 35,000 to 113,000. In 1998, the department opened e-filing to individuals preparing their own returns. That year, the department received 164,000 e-filed returns. “We’re excited that e-filing is so popular with taxpayers. E-filed returns are more accurate than paper returns. We can process them faster than paper returns, and get refunds to people more quickly,” Harchenko said. They also cost less to process. Each paper return costs an average of $4.50 to process while each e-filed return costs about $1.30. Taxpayers who filed extensions this year may e-file their returns by October 15. |
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