There are currently over 80,000 EROs who are authorized to file electronic returns on behalf of their clients. These include accountants. The IRS processes some 119 million individual tax returns each year. Barr emphasized that the IRS has reached out aggressively to the private sector and made the practitioner the cornerstone of its strategy. We are laying out a whole distribution channel strategy, recognizing the importance of the practitioner as well as enabling a number of programs to support them.
Programs run the gamut from our marketing campaign to our constant testing.
In effect, we are placing a tremendous amount of focus on practiced incentives to be successful. Of course, the key remains the accountants and their involvement. However, he knows a goodly number of accountants who are involved and who express no doubt that electronic filing is here to stay. Keep in mind that for the average individual, the attraction is that people can get their hands on money early. It's the era of the fast, fast, fast refund.