TOPEKA – Kansas tax filers are moving online, the latest tax year shows.
With 2012 tax year returns processed, except for those filers who received an extension, the results show that 92 percent of Kansas tax filers, or about 1.3 million filers, sent their return in electronically compared to about 112,000 paper returns.
“This is an excellent use of technology that benefits the Kansas Department of Revenue and the tax filers,” said Revenue Secretary Nick Jordan. “People who file electronically and have their refund direct deposited receive their money 80 percent faster than those using the old paper method.
Tax payers have a variety of options for filling online, not just commercial tax preparation sites. The state offers free online tax filing through KsWebFile, and tax assistance sites such as VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) and AARP offer free tax preparation and online filing for middle- and low-income or elderly tax payers.
“While there will always be a handful of people who file by paper, the growing number of free and simple ways to file online mean we are seeing more people that we ever expected using electronic filing,” Jordan said.