Gov. Dave Heineman is encouraging Nebraska taxpayers to file their state and federal returns electronically.

Heineman says in his weekly column that 87 percent of Nebraska residents e-filed their returns in 2011, the largest percentage of any state nationwide.

The e-filing tax system is designed to reduce the risk of errors and to confirm that a return has been received. It's also designed to provide tax refunds sooner than paper filing.

Heineman says the switch to e-filing has reduced the number of temporary workers required at the Nebraska Department of Revenue. No temporary workers were hired this year, compared to the roughly 150 workers that were needed before e-filing was available.