IRS encourages individuals, small businesses, tax practitioners to file returns electronically.

• Position: Tax info - Brief Article

With more and more tax practitioners considering how electronically filing returns can increase efficiencies, cut costs, reduce errors, help improve client privacy and security as well as expedite refunds, CPAs are expected to e-file more tax returns in 2003 than in any previous year. In addition, the Internal Revenue Service is increasing its emphasis on its e-file program for the 2003 tax filing season by initiating a national communications program aimed at individuals and small businesses encouraging the use of e-file for 2002 returns. Thus, tax professionals should be prepared to answer more client questions about e-file and be ready to increase their capacity to electronically file tax returns.

The IRS is initiating the communications program to help achieve its goal of receiving 80% of all tax returns electronically by 2007. In the 2002 filing season, 36% of individual income tax returns were...