E-filing Means Fewer IRS Jobs

The Internal Revenue Service will get rid of as many as 2,000 jobs because of its push into electronic tax filing, reports the Eagle-Tribune in North Andover, Mass. The majority of those who will lose their jobs will be seasonal employees, those who process paper returns at the Andover tax return center during the busiest time of the year, from January to June, according to the article. The paper continues:

For years, the IRS collected paper returns in 10 facilities across the country, [IRS spokeswoman Peggy] Riley said. Now, just seven locations are used, including the one in Andover. The IRS has decided to consolidate paper return collections even further, to just three cities: Fresno, Calif.; Austin, Texas; and Kansas City, Mo.

Riley said that nationally, paper filings have dropped from nearly 80 million in 2003 to about 60 million last year. Meanwhile, electronic returns have jumped from 52 million in 2003 to more than 72 million last year. That upward trend for so-called e-filers is expected to continue this year.