The company attributed the slowdown to the rush of late filers trying to meet Thursday's midnight deadline. The sites that make up the company's Keynote 40 index, by comparison, loaded in an average of 5.6 seconds, Keynote officials said. Keynote rated the IRS site's availability at 93.6 percent, while the other sites were rated at 96.6 percent. The IRS has encouraged taxpayers to file their returns electronically, saying they are more likely to make the submission deadline. The federal revenue agency says 50 percent more people have used its Web site this year compared to 1998.
Most people still file their tax returns by mail.
Electronic filing is very practical, right up to the last minute, because you are going to get your return in quicker. Some taxpayers who file their tax returns on the Internet also encountered another glitch this week when the online connection for the tax-preparation software package TurboTax was down Tuesday for more than 14 hours, the company said. Your complete resource for IRS tax forms. All Rights Reserved. Terms under which this service is provided to you.