The average tax refund amount decreased by 3% in 2011

The average tax refund amount decreased by 3% in 2011 (Alberta Times) According to the latest statistics released by the United States Internal Revenue Service, the tax refund cases of the Bureau not only decreased last year...

The average tax refund amount decreased by 3% in 2011 (Alberta Times) According to the latest statistics released by the Internal Revenue Service, not only did the agency's tax refund cases decrease last year, but the average tax refund amount also dropped by nearly $100. The average tax refund received by taxpayers in 2011 was $2,913, down 3 percent from $3,003 the previous year. The IRS delivered 109.3 million tax refunds last year, totaling $318.5 billion. This is a slight decrease from the 109.4 million refunds in 2010, totaling $328.4 billion. Direct transfers were the most popular refund method for taxpayers last year, with more than 79 million tax refunds deposited directly into taxpayer accounts, a 6% increase from 2010. More than 75% of taxpayers file their refunds using the IRS’s free online e-filing system, an increase of nearly 14% from the previous year. While the majority of those using e-filing systems hire a tax professional to file, the number of taxpayers preparing to file their own returns increased by 14%. For those taxpayers who are due a refund but haven't received any yet, your taxes may still be due. The Internal Revenue Service said in late November that tens of millions of dollars in tax refunds had not been returned to taxpayers due to mailing address errors.