According to information put out by the IRS, taxpayers are 20 times more likely to make an error if they file a paper tax return instead of e-filing online. There are millions of Americans who still continue to file paper tax returns each year. One big difference between e-filing and filing a paper return is that the e-filing program will typically check for errors. “For example, if you omit a digit from your Social Security number, or you add up deductions incorrectly, the program can catch things like that.” These programs are not perfect and there are some errors that can still manage to slip through the cracks, but the chance of making an error is minimized by using an e-filing program. If people have a choice e-filing is probably the best option.
See Matthew Frankel, This Mistake Makes You 20 Times More Likely to Mess Up Your Taxes, My San Antonio, March 21, 2016.
