The Average Individual Tax Return

• In 2008, 142.5 million people filed individual federal returns, totaling $1 trillion. The statistical average of those two figures suggests that the average tax paid per return was slightly more than $70,000. Fortunately, because the top 5 percent of taxpayers account for 60 percent of federal income tax collected, the average tax was actually $11,379.
  
  

The Average Individual Taxpayer

• The IRS offers interesting statistics about individual taxpayers' returns. More than two-thirds of all taxpayers take the standard deduction instead of itemizing. More than one-half of taxpayers hire a professional tax preparer. Slightly more than three-fourths take advantage of E-filing. This paints a picture of a person without a lot of deductions who is not confident enough to prepare a tax return, and either owns or knows someone who owns a computer.
  
  

Other Federal Income Tax Returns

• All businesses and non-profit organizations are required to file an annual tax return. That includes those who had no profits. Data necessary to compute reliable averages is not currently available.