Apr 21, 2024

Question of the Day: What percent of U.S. taxpayers who filed electronically prepared their own tax returns?

For most people, April 15th was Tax Day. How many of us typically prepare and e-file our own tax returns?

 

Answer: Among those who filed electronically, over 43% prepared their own returns in 2023

Questions:

  • What do you think are the pros/cons of preparing your own tax return? 
  • Do you hope to be able to file your own tax returns in the future? Why or why not?
    • If you have already filed your own tax returns, how would you describe the process you went through to make this happen? 
  • What are resources that you can use to answer questions you have about filing tax returns?
  • If you use a tax preparer (accountant), do you think it's still important to understand details about your tax return? 

Here are the ready-to-go slides for this Question of the Day that you can use in your classroom.

 

Behind the numbers (efile.com): 

eFilers Versus Paper Filers
Tax refunds via direct bank deposit: Nearly 95.6 million taxpayers received faster federal tax refunds via direct bank deposits into their accounts through electronic transfers out of a total of 105.7 million refunds issued for 2022 Returns. The average tax refund received by direct deposit for was $3,145 compared to an average refund for all types of $3,167. Additionally, of all e-filed returns, roughly 43% of those were self-prepared returns by individual taxpayers. Did you know that, in most cases, a high refund is money you handed over to the IRS during the year that was alright rightfully yours? Increase your paycheck now instead of receiving a high refund a year later.

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Teach your students how to file the 1040 using NGPF's Activity, CALCULATE: Completing a 1040

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What's the most popular unit on the NGPF website and the most searched for term? It's Taxes! Find all the resources that NGPF has on Taxes here

About the Author

Mason Butts

After graduating from UCLA with a Master's in Education, Mason spent 5 years as a science educator in a South Los Angeles public high school. He is committed to supporting the holistic growth of all students and empowering them to live a life of relational, academic, and financial success. Now settled in the Bay Area, Mason enjoys facilitating professional developments and partnering with educators as they prepare students for a bright financial future. When Mason is not building curriculum or planning a training, he can be found cycling, trying new foods, and exploring the outdoors.

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