In 2011, there was a 14% increase in e-filing, according to the IRS Oversight Board’s 2011 Annual Report to Congress on Electronic Filing. Seventy-eight percent of all individual returns were e-filed in 2011. The expectation for the 2012 filing season (for 2011 income tax returns) is 80% e-filing. E-filing also includes the use of the mobile application, IRS2GO, for submitting a 1040EZ with a smartphone.
Because of increased e-filing, the IRS no longer mails out paper returns and instructions to taxpayers in December. Forms and instructions can be found on the IRS website.
Source: IRS Oversight Board 2011 Annual Report to Congress on Electronic Filing
Rules limiting loss deductions to cash investments and personal liability notes. An exception for real estate treats certain nonrecourse commercial loans as amounts “at risk.”