The IRS is understaffed and refunds may be delayed. Currently, the IRS has a workforce similar to that of the 1970s, 15,000 employees handle around 240 million calls during tax season, about 16,000 calls per employee. 90% of people file electronically helps the process and many in the remaining percentage would prefer filing online but cannot for various reasons including forms the agency does not yet process electronically. Reduced budgets and a decline in tax payer enforcement in recent years have led to concerns about a growing “tax gap.” Read more here: Treasury warns of ‘enormous challenges’ this tax filing season that could delay refunds