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Project 00995

Taxpayer Communication Recordkeeping

Project Statement:

Each year Taxpayer Assistance Centers (TAC) continue to assist customers with identity theft issues. To enhance taxpayer experience and to prevent those who wrongfully use or disclose taxpayer. information, it is increasingly important to help taxpayers understand the importance of information, it is increasingly important to help taxpayers understand the importance of information, it is increasingly important to help taxpayers understand the importance of recordkeeping and safeguarding taxpayer data. •How can the IRS better communicate to taxpayers why maintaining tax records is important in •How can the IRS better communicate to taxpayers why maintaining tax records is important in resolving tax issues? •Is there a way to communicate when dealing with identify theft how maintaining tax records safeguards against those who may wrongfully use taxpayer information?

Goal Statement:

The goal of this project is to identify ways the IRS can help taxpayers understand the importance of recordkeeping and safeguarding their own taxpayer data.

TAC Improvements Committee

Year: 2023


Status: Elevated

RECOMMENDATION 00995-001

RECOMMENDATION TEXT:

The IRS should make individual taxpayers one of the partners in the Security Summit. Consider using TAP members (non- practitioners) as a resource, especially taxpayers who have had their security breached. Security Summit | Internal Revenue Service (irs.gov) Make taxpayers partners in the Security Summit so that their point of view can be considered. The taxpayer point of view will help the IRS identify methods to protect and advise taxpayers about their security. Response explanation: Regretfully, we must decline this thoughtful recommendation. The IRS does not solely control membership in the Security Summit. The membership in the Security Summit is tightly governed by the Security Summit Charter which was co-drafted and agreed upon by all member sectors (the IRS, The State Revenue Authorities, Tax Industry, and the Financial Sector). It is intended solely for those entities with an active role in combatting identity Theft Refund Fraud. To change the membership criteria, the other partnership groups would Form 15214 (Rev. 1-2021) Catalog Number 72636A publish.no.irs.gov Department of the Treasury – Internal Revenue Service have to collectively agree (without objection), and changes to the MOU/Membership Criteria would have to be written, reviewed by partnership counsel, and ratified by partner-members – all of which is unlikely to happen. However, the RICS leadership and the IRS leads of the Security Summit communication Working Group recognize the value of having taxpayer insights inform their work. We would be happy to schedule a separate conversation with the TAP members about the work of the Security Summit Communications Working Group to hear their recommendations on ways in which we can better educate taxpayers to combat IDTRF and provide an improved taxpayer experience. We would also like to bring another effort to your attention. IRS’s Refundable Credits Director hosts an annual Refundable Credits Summit each year in the fall. This summit provides a forum to share and identify opportunities to increase refundable credits participation, reduce refundable credits overclaims, and improve the administration of these credits.

IRS Action: Not adopted

Regretfully, we must decline this thoughtful recommendation. The IRS does not solely control membership in the Security Summit. The membership in the Security Summit is tightly governed by the Security Summit Charter which was co-drafted and agreed upon by all member sectors (the IRS, The State Revenue Authorities, Tax Industry, and the Financial Sector). It is intended solely for those entities with an active role in combatting identity Theft Refund Fraud. To change the membership criteria, the other partnership groups would Form 15214 (Rev. 1-2021) Catalog Number 72636A publish.no.irs.gov Department of the Treasury – Internal Revenue Service have to collectively agree (without objection), and changes to the MOU/Membership Criteria would have to be written, reviewed by partnership counsel, and ratified by partner-members – all of which is unlikely to happen. However, the RICS leadership and the IRS leads of the Security Summit communication Working Group recognize the value of having taxpayer insights inform their work. We would be happy to schedule a separate conversation with the TAP members about the work of the Security Summit Communications Working Group to hear their recommendations on ways in which we can better educate taxpayers to combat IDTRF and provide an improved taxpayer experience. We would also like to bring another effort to your attention. IRS’s Refundable Credits Director hosts an annual Refundable Credits Summit each year in the fall. This summit provides a forum to share and identify opportunities to increase refundable credits participation, reduce refundable credits overclaims, and improve the administration of these credits.

RECOMMENDATION 00995-002

RECOMMENDATION TEXT:

IRS website on the landing (home) page should immediately identify the taxpayer status, listing Individual, Business, Non Profit, and other categories. See attached screen print. This will make it easier for taxpayers to find relevant information Response explanation: We must decline the recommendation – This level of personalization cannot happen without us having excessive amounts of browsing data from each IRS.gov user, and we can double check with Barry on this. One of the redesign ideas once was to let the user self-identify when they go to the homepage, but there are issues with that as well, because some people may not know what type of “hat” they’re wearing when visiting irs.gov, so putting them in the position of self-identifying could Form 15214 (Rev. 1-2021) Catalog Number 72636A publish.no.irs.gov Department of the Treasury – Internal Revenue Service provide the wrong user experience. We also had a personalization research study last year where participants expressed that they wouldn’t feel comfortable with the IRS personalizing the website before them logging in to their account, so let’s chat about this for a minute.

IRS Action: Not adopted

We must decline the recommendation – This level of personalization cannot happen without us having excessive amounts of browsing data from each IRS.gov user, and we can double check with Barry on this. One of the redesign ideas once was to let the user self-identify when they go to the homepage, but there are issues with that as well, because some people may not know what type of “hat” they’re wearing when visiting irs.gov, so putting them in the position of self-identifying could.

RECOMMENDATION 00995-003

RECOMMENDATION TEXT:

Provide a link to the Tip Sheet on Maintaining Records covering such topics as: a. How long should I keep my 1040 forms and other tax documents? b. What should I keep? c. How should I store my records d. Risks of not securing your tax records This will make it easier for taxpayers to find relevant information. This will assist taxpayers who are not familiar with navigating IRS.GOV or other websites. Response explanation: We must decline the recommendation – the request is unclear Providing a link where?

IRS Action: Not adopted

We must decline the recommendation – the request is unclear Providing a link where?

RECOMMENDATION 00995-004

RECOMMENDATION TEXT:

Include this tip sheet with VITA tax record envelopes or as a separate handout to be given to taxpayers when they go to a VITA or TCE site for tax preparation. Will Provide low/moderate income taxpayers with information on records security and reduce the risk of ID Theft and security breaches. Response explanation: This does not belong to OLS

IRS Action: Not adopted

This does not belong to OLS

RECOMMENDATION 00995-005

RECOMMENDATION TEXT:

The IRS should enhance the search features (terms, cross references) on irs.gov to make it easier for individual taxpayers to locate information on maintaining their tax records. This will make it easier for taxpayers to find relevant information. This will assist taxpayers who are not familiar with navigating IRS.GOV or other websites. Response explanation: We must decline the recommendation – The IRS.gov Ops team has worked extensively on improving the search feature on the site, and the Enterprise Content team is always using SEO best practices and plain language best practices for the pages when they’re updated. Do you have something specific in mind?

IRS Action: Not adopted

We must decline the recommendation – The IRS.gov Ops team has worked extensively on improving the search feature on the site, and the Enterprise Content team is always using SEO best practices and plain language best practices for the pages when they’re updated. Do you have something specific in mind?

RECOMMENDATION 00995-006

RECOMMENDATION TEXT:

Provide instructions on how to use IRS.GOV to query for information. This will make it easier for taxpayers to find relevant information. This will assist taxpayers who are not familiar with navigating IRS.GOV or other websites. Response explanation: We must decline the recommendation – the request is unclear Provide instructions where? When people go to VITA sites for tax preparation?

IRS Action: Not adopted

We must decline the recommendation – the request is unclear Provide instructions where? When people go to VITA sites for tax preparation?