Correct Mailings Help Speed Refunds

WASHINGTON - Taxpayers can help themselves to faster refunds by using the correct address labels when they mail their federal returns. The IRS sent tax packages with two address labels – a yellow one for those claiming a refund, and a white one for those with a payment. Use of the appropriate label helps the IRS sort the mail arriving at its processing centers.

Taxpayers who do not have the IRS tax package will find the appropriate processing center address in the tax instructions. The final digits of the Zip+4 Code identify the type of form and whether it is a refund or payment return.

This year, individual taxpayers in 12 states are sending their returns to a different IRS center than they have in the past. The states are Alaska, Colorado, Delaware, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Montana, Nebraska, Oregon, West Virginia and Wyoming. This is part of an ongoing workload redistribution among the ten IRS centers. When it is completed next year, two centers will process all business tax returns and the other eight will process individual tax returns.

Taxpayers should also take care to send their federal tax return in the IRS envelope and their state return in the envelope addressed to their state tax agency. Each year, the IRS and the state agencies receive thousands of returns that should have gone to the other. Although the agencies forward the returns to their proper destinations, taxpayers may find their refunds delayed because of their mistakes.

One way to avoid possible mailing errors is to do what nearly half the taxpayers have done so far-- file electronically. There are no envelopes to stuff, no labels to affix, no chance of sending returns to the wrong agency. And it´s the fastest possible route to a refund.

2001 FILING SEASON STATISTICS

Cumulative through the week ending 3/24/00 and 3/23/01

                        2000           2001        % Change
Individual Income Tax Returns
Total Receipts       64,287,000     63,969,000      - 0.5 
Total Processed      57,776,000     56,687,000      - 1.9

E-filing Receipts:
TOTAL                27,995,000     30,988,000       10.7      
TeleFile (phone)      4,234,000      3,602,000      -14.9      
Computer             23,761,000     27,386,000       15.3 
Tax Professionals    20,462,000     22,877,000       11.8 
Self-prepared         3,299,000      4,509,000       36.7

Refunds Certified by the Martinsburg Computing Center:
Number               52,634,000     52,040,000      - 1.1 
Amount of principal     $88.707 b.     $91.980 b.     3.7 
Average refund            $1685          $1767        4.9

Direct Deposit Refunds:
Number               22,758,000     25,679,000       12.8 
Amount                  $48.721 b.     $56.000 b.    14.9 
Average                   $2141          $2181        1.9

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