The time it takes to file taxes varies widely depending on the complexity of your tax situation and the method you use to file.
- On average, the IRS estimates that taxpayers without business income spend about 8 hours preparing their tax returns, which includes recordkeeping, tax planning, and form completion
. Taxpayers with business income or more complex situations can spend around 24 hours or more
- For simple tax situations, such as having only W-2 income and claiming the standard deduction, filing online with tax software can take as little as several minutes to a couple of hours
- The overall average time for most taxpayers is around 11-13 hours, factoring in all preparation activities
- E-filing tends to be faster and more efficient than paper filing, often taking less than 2 hours for simple returns when using online tax preparation services
In summary, simple returns can be filed in under two hours online, while more complex returns involving business income or multiple income streams can take 20+ hours to prepare and file
. The key factors influencing time are your tax situation complexity and filing method.
