The IRS reported “a strong start to filing season 2024, with all systems running well” after releasing its 2024 Filing Season Statistics for individual income tax returns, as of Feb. 2.

The numbers showed a 19.1 percent decrease in total returns received and a 16.9 percent decrease in total returns processed as of Feb. 2, 2024, compared to Feb. 3, 2023.

The IRS explained the drops as being due to an earlier 2023 filing season. “Because the 2023 filing season began on Jan. 23, the IRS had been receiving returns for 12 days by Feb. 3, 2023; compared to only 5 days for the 2024 filing season, which opened on Jan. 29.”

The statistics also showed a 67.3 percent decrease in the total number of refunds, compared to a year ago. E-filing returns received from tax professionals were down by19.7 percent, and self-prepared e-filing returns received were down by 12.3 percent, compared to a year ago.