The IRS loves electronic filing, a process that zaps your tax information almost instantly to IRS computers rather than on paper forms that slog their way through the mail and then a manual processing system. Electronic filing saves the agency money on processing and storing returns. And, forms sent electronically have proven to be far less error-prone than conventional paper returns, in part because no one at the IRS has a chance to goof when typing your figures into the agency's computers.
But, what's the appeal for taxpayers? For one thing, the lower error rate means there's a much smaller chance that you'll be contacted to fix someone else's goof. More importantly, if you have a refund coming, filing electronically promises to get you your check within three weeks. If you have the IRS deposit your money directly in your bank account, you can speed up the refund by a couple more days. That compares to the four to eight weeks you have to wait for a refund if you use an old-fashioned paper return.
Follow the instructions in our File section to take advantage of electronic filing.