IR-2008-39, March 12, 2008 WASHINGTON — One quarter of all individual tax returns so far this filing season is being processed by the Internal Revenue Service’s modernized account information computer system. Known as the Customer Account Data Engine, or CADE, the system has successfully processed 15.1 million individual tax returns through March 7, more than 25 percent of all those processed so far this year by the IRS. The number of tax returns processed this year by CADE has already topped the 11.2 million returns the system handled for all of last year. “This system is the centerpiece of our modernization efforts at the IRS,” said Richard Spires, IRS Deputy Commissioner for Operations Support. “CADE is handling significantly more tax returns each year. The long-term investment in this program is paying off with meaningful results for the American taxpayer.” CADE, which is at the core of the effort to replace many of the agency’s aging systems, dramatically speeds up internal IRS processing, permitting taxpayer accounts to update on a daily basis. The older system updates only on a weekly basis. “This supports better customer service for the taxpayers, processes refunds quicker and helps the IRS better administer the nation’s tax system,” Spires said. The IRS is rolling out CADE in a series of “releases,” each improving on and adding to the system capabilities. The current release, launched in January, permits CADE to process certain 1040, 1040A and 1040EZ forms, as well as schedules C, E and F for Form 1040 and a number of other IRS schedules, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). CADE was envisioned to replace the legacy Master File system, parts of which date back to the Kennedy Administration. CADE will eventually house the account information of more than 200 million individual and business taxpayers. The IRS will process nearly 140 million individual tax returns in 2008 and collect approximately $2 trillion in federal government revenue. In addition, the IRS today issued the latest two weeks of filing season statistics. 2008 FILING SEASON STATISTICS Cumulative through the weeks ending 3/9/07 and 3/7/08 Individual Income Tax Returns 2007 2008 % Change Total Receipts 61,124,000 63,383,000 3.7% Total Processed 56,975,000 59,270,000 4.0% E-filing Receipts: TOTAL 45,497,000 48,795,000 7.2% Tax Professionals 32,156,000 33,419,000 3.9% Self-prepared 13,342,000 15,377,000 15.3% Web Usage: Visits to IRS.gov 81,664,000 91,686,000 12.3% Total Refunds: Number 51,700,000 53,176,000 2.9% Amount $129.992 Billion $136.976 Billion 5.4% Average refund $2,514 $2,576 2.4% Direct Deposit Refunds: Number 39,088,000 41,665,000 6.6% Amount $110.090 Billion $117.808 Billion 7.0% Average refund $2,816 $2,827 0.4% 2008 FILING SEASON STATISTICS Cumulative through the weeks ending 3/2/07 and 2/29/08 Individual Income Tax Returns 2007 2008 % Change Total Receipts 54,173,000 55,704,000 2.8% Total Processed 49,691,000 51,240,000 3.1% E-filing Receipts: TOTAL 41,221,000 43,777,000 6.2% Tax Professionals 29,002,000 29,738,000 2.5% Self-prepared 12,220,000 14,027,000 14.8% Web Usage: Visits to IRS.gov 74,187,000 82,613,000 11.4% Total Refunds: Number 45,420,000 46,539,000 2.5% Amount $117.078 Billion $122.716 Billion 4.8% Average refund $2,578 $2,637 2.3% Direct Deposit Refunds: Number 35,645,000 37,748,000 5.9% Amount $101.540 Billion $107.955 Billion 6.3% Average refund $2,849 $2,860 0.4% Subscribe to IRS Newswire
