IRS News Release  
April 01, 1997

IRS Issues Winter 1996-97
Statistics of Income Bulletin

WASHINGTON - For 1997, total tax returns to be filed with the Internal Revenue Service are projected at 211.4 million returns, increasing to 226.7 million by 2003. Individual income tax returns comprise the majority of these returns, 119.9 million in 1997 and 129.7 million in 2003. Based on current planning assumptions, electronically-filed returns are projected to account for a growing percentage of individual returns, increasing from 16.4 to 20.1 percent. These and other statistics are reported in the newly released Winter 1996-1997 issue of the Internal Revenue Service quarterly publication, the "Statistics of Income (SOI) Bulletin."

The Bulletin analyzes the 993,326 individual income tax returns for tax year 1993 that reported adjusted gross income of $200,000 or more, including those that reported little or no tax before IRS audits, and the tax provisions used that help explain how the tax liability on these returns was either reduced or eliminated.

Over 27,000 of the 60,000 estate tax returns filed for 1992 decedents showed a tax liability which totaled $10.5 billion.

U.S.- source income paid to foreign recipients was reported at $84.2 billion in 1994 with U.S. tax withheld of $1.9 billion. Combined payments to persons in Japan and the United Kingdom accounted for nearly half of the total income.

For 1993, approximately 44,000 private foundations and 2,900 charitable trusts reported $25.7 billion in revenue, while the amounts they paid out in contributions, gifts, and grants totaled $11.8 billion.

Also included in the Winter SOI Bulletin are excise tax statistics by type of tax covering Fiscal Years 1994 and 1995, along with data for the first three quarters of Fiscal Year 1996.

The "Statistics of Income Bulletin" is available from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, P.O Box 371954, Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954. The annual subscription rate is $30 ($37.50 foreign); single issues cost $15 ($18.75 foreign). For other Statistics of Income data, write the Director, Statistics of Income Division CP:R:S:S:P, Internal Revenue Service, P.O. Box 2608, Washington, DC 20013-2608; dial the electronic bulletin board at (202) 874-0974 (e-mail at [email protected]); phone the statistical information services office at (202) 874-0410 (FAX 202-874-0964); or check the World Wide Web at http://www.irs.gov.

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