Move over computer: Mobile tax filing on the rise

SAN DIEGO, USA: The digital revolution continues to redefine how Americans file taxes. While e-filing is now commonplace, the smartphone is the next tax filing platform quickly growing acceptance.

In fact, as reliance on mobile communications continues to grow, 45 percent of Americans indicate they would be comfortable filing taxes via smartphone, according to a Cricket Wireless national survey.

This discovery is aligned with the increasing number of Americans choosing to bypass the computer and handle personal finances from their pocket. That means taxpayers are nearly as comfortable with mobile tax filing as they are using a mobile wallet (51 percent) or giving bank account information via smartphone (52 percent).

While research further shows this trend toward mobile ease is largely driven by a generational gap, with the Millennials and GenXers showing the highest comfort, older generations are also adopting smartphone financial management. Cricket's national survey finds that 56 percent of 18-29 year-olds would file their tax returns on their phone compared to 34 percent of 45-64 year-olds.

Applications today, such as the TurboTax SnapTax mobile app from Intuit and the H&R Block 1040EZ Tax App, allow those who fit within set criteria to easily snap a photo of their W-2, answer a few simple questions and file from their phone.

Whether they are the half (50 percent) that indicate they file early, or the limited few (5 percent) that admit to filing last-minute, qualified Americans can use these apps to safely and effectively file via smartphone.