IR-2023-126, published on July 14, 2023, gives us a more human side to the IRS -- one that imagines a better online experience for taxpayers and that set a five-year goal to achieve its vision:
Taxpayers deserve the same functionality in their online accounts that they experience with their bank or other financial institution. In the next five years, taxpayers will be able to securely file all documents and respond to all notices online and securely access and download their data and account history. IRS has hit several milestones and has several projects in progress toward this goal.
The news release highlights improvements the IRS is making to achieve its vision. For example, the IRS is deploying enhanced capabilities for Individual Online Accounts that include secure messaging, live chat, and a virtual assistant. "Virtual assistant and live chat were made available to taxpayers in May," states the news release.
The IRS asserts that these technology changes are just some of the steps it is taking to improve how it serves taxpayers.
The same news release emphasizes the efforts that the IRS is taking to "ensure . . . high-income filers pay the taxes they owe." The IRS is portraying that it is focusing its enhanced enforcement activities to crack down on "delinquent millionaires," "tax-evading millionaires," and "millionaire non-filers."
We see two roles for the IRS in one news release: Service and enforcement. And we see that the IRS has some brilliant content creators who are portraying a positive image for the IRS -- more helpful for all taxpayers and tax professionals, and more vigilant in cracking down on bad millionaires.
Hani Sarji
New York lawyer who cares about people, is fascinated by technology, and is writing his first book, Estate of Confusion: New York.
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