WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has released its annual Data Book for fiscal year 2024, offering a comprehensive statistical snapshot of the agency’s operations and achievements from October 1, 2023, to September 30, 2024. This year’s report marks the 30th anniversary of the Data Book, which has remained a crucial tool in understanding the IRS’s evolving role in government finance and taxpayer services.
Enhanced Service to Taxpayers
The IRS recorded notable improvements in delivering services to taxpayers during the past year, building on advances made during the previous filing season. The agency provided assistance 62.2 million times in fiscal year 2024, reflecting a 3.2% increase from fiscal year 2023.
Improvements spanned several channels of taxpayer support, including live telephone assistance, automated support systems, and in-person services provided at Taxpayer Assistance Centers. Live telephone assistance reached nearly 20 million taxpayers, an 11% increase from the prior year. Meanwhile, more than 2 million taxpayers received help in-person at Taxpayer Assistance Centers, representing a significant 26% increase over fiscal year 2023.
In highlighting the agency’s service enhancements, the IRS noted that it had successfully reduced wait times on its toll-free lines, further smoothing the experience for taxpayers seeking assistance.
Expansion of Digital Services
The IRS’s commitment to modernization was evident in its Digital First initiative, which debuted more digital tools in fiscal year 2024 than in the past two decades combined. Popular features included the IRS’s widely used “Where’s My Refund?” tool, which saw more than 382.8 million inquiries, up 26% compared to the prior fiscal year.
Altogether, the IRS recorded over 2 billion electronic taxpayer assistance transactions, surging 47% from the prior year’s volume of 1.4 billion. The agency also observed significant website traffic, with IRS.gov receiving nearly 690 million individual visits and totaling 1.7 billion page views. These milestones exemplify taxpayers’ growing reliance on digital tools for self-service, including requesting transcripts and checking refund statuses.
Historic Revenue Collections
For the first time in history, the IRS reported that annual revenue collections surpassed $5 trillion. Gross collections in fiscal year 2024 totaled $5.1 trillion, marking nearly a 9% increase from the $4.7 trillion collected in the previous fiscal year. Importantly, the IRS emphasized its critical role in funding the federal government, as its collections accounted for approximately 96% of total government revenue.
The agency also issued nearly $553 billion in refunds to individual and business taxpayers, underscoring its responsibilities as both a collector and disbursor of funds.
Examination and Collection Activities
The IRS continued its enforcement efforts, closing 505,514 tax return audits in fiscal year 2024. These audits resulted in $29 billion in recommended additional taxes.
On the collections side, the IRS reported net collections of approximately $77.6 billion through its ongoing efforts to recover unpaid taxes, a 13.6% increase from fiscal year 2023. More taxpayers also turned to installment agreements to settle their tax debts incrementally. Payments collected through installment agreements totaled more than $16 billion, reflecting a 12% rise from the previous year.
Data Highlights
The Data Book offers a closer look at the agency’s vast operations. During fiscal year 2024, the IRS processed over 266 million returns and forms, received nearly 4.6 billion information returns, and worked toward maintaining the efficiency and integrity of the tax system.
With significant accomplishments in revenue collection, enhanced taxpayer service, and digital innovation, the IRS’s fiscal year 2024 results highlight its essential role in the nation’s economic infrastructure. The agency’s focus on modernization and operational improvements appears poised to shape its trajectory in the years ahead.
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