IRS: E-filing up 18% in R.I.

PROVIDENCE – The IRS says more than 384,000 Rhode Islanders filed their 2010 individual federal income tax returns electronically as of April 21, an 18 percent increase over the same period last year.
The e-flings exceeded the total number of electronically filed individual income tax returns by Rhode Islanders for all of tax year 2009, when Rhode Islanders submitted 364,000 electronically filed returns.
“IRS e-file is popular because it’s fast, safe and accurate,” said Peggy Riley, IRS spokeswoman for New England. “An electronically prepared and filed return has an error rate of less than 1 percent, compared to an error rate of about 20 percent for a paper prepared return. We remind Rhode Islanders with extensions that they can still file their tax returns electronically. The IRS will continue to accept individual income tax returns through IRS e-file through Oct. 17, 2011.”
Of the e-filed returns, about 112,000 were by home computers, a 23 percent increase over the same period as last year, Riley said.
The IRS said tax filers can use Free File available through the IRS website, www.IRS.gov, to prepare and e-file their tax returns for free, either by using third-party software or Free File Fillable Forms, which is the electronic version of IRS paper forms.
Individuals or families with 2010 adjusted gross incomes of $58,000 or less can use Free File software. Using Free File Fillable Forms has no income restrictions.