Connecticut taxpayers have a new option to file their incomes taxes — the Internet.

The state Department of Revenue Services Monday unveiled WebFile, an online service that provides forms and automatically calculates income taxes for many state residents.

The free Internet service is available to taxpayers throughout the 2001 tax filing season to guide users through the state’s 1040 form and complete calculations for them.

Department officials say the program will make filing taxes easier and faster, and will save the state money.

Electronic filing eliminates the processing paper returns, which are received by mail, sorted, checked for accuracy, entered into a computer and then placed in storage.

It costs between $1 and $3 to process a paper return, said Sarah E. Kaufman, a revenue department spokeswoman.

Getting more people to file electronically would reduce the need to hire additional staff during the tax season.

–Associated Press