2018 Filing Season Statistics Cumulative statistics comparing 2/24/2017 and 2/23/2018 Calendar year-to-year comparisons are difficult at this early point in the season as six additional days of tax return processing are included in the 2017 totals. However, when comparing the same number of days of filing, IRS is seeing an increase in returns received and accepted over 2017. Individual Income Tax Returns: 2017 2018 % Change Total Returns Received 52,096,000 51,740,000 -0.7 Total Returns Processed 50,425,000 49,992,000 -0.9 E-filing Receipts: TOTAL 49,371,000 49,192,000 -0.4 Tax Professionals 24,220,000 23,438,000 -3.2 Self-prepared 25,151,000 25,754,000 2.4 Web Usage: Visits to IRS.gov 175,337,226 213,116,698 21.6 Total Refunds: Number 41,427,000 40,504,000 -2.2 Amount $127.227 Billion $125.671 Billion -1.2 Average refund $3,071 $3,103 1.0 Direct Deposit Refunds: Number 38,121,000 37,731,000 -1.0 Amount $121.325 Billion $120.689 Billion -0.5 Average refund $3,183 $3,199 0.5