But the 1.7 million returns prepared at home on computers through March 26 represent a tiny fraction of the total of 63.1 million returns filed so far. Counting returns prepared by professionals and simple returns filed over the telephone, total electronic returns have reached 24 million, up more than 16 percent from last year, according to Internal Revenue Service figures released Wednesday. One major reason people are turning to electronic filing is the quick turnaround time for a refund, an average of 15 days compared to a minimum of 35 days for a paper return. But most of the estimated 126 million returns the IRS expects to get this year still will be on paper, despite these advantages. They're afraid their data is going to be corrupted.
Some people fear they're more likely to be audited.
Some people just enjoy going down to the post office on April 15th. Not much can be done about technophobes or the April 15 post office visitors. But the IRS says people should not worry that their returns will get messed up or fear they are upping their audit chances by filing electronically. These providers transmit returns directly to the IRS service centers and must undergo detailed background checks first. There have been instances of fraud, but Lutes said it's usually a small professional firm attempting to sneak in a few bad returns and pocket the fees.