RECOMMENDATION 01125-001
RECOMMENDATION TEXT:
We must decline the recommendation – the request is unclear Provide instructions where? When people go to VITA sites for tax preparation?
IRS Action: Partially adopted
This is a current feature in IOLA. Taxpayers can see a summary of their current-year tax return and view transcripts from prior-year returns for 4-10 years, depending on the type of transcript. Summary info is shown in the Tax Records page for the most recent tax filing. This summary info is being extended in FY25 to the last 5 years. Regarding processing and posting notifications, that is an area of opportunity and is currently in the IOLA project backlog.
RECOMMENDATION 01125-002
RECOMMENDATION TEXT:
This is a current feature in IOLA. Taxpayers can see a summary of their current-year tax return and view transcripts from prior-year returns for 4-10 years, depending on the type of transcript. Summary info is shown in the Tax Records page for the most recent tax filing. This summary info is being extended in FY25 to the last 5 years. Regarding processing and posting notifications, that is an area of opportunity and is currently in the IOLA project backlog.
IRS Action: Partially adopted
While taxpayers can view digital copies of certain IRS notices in IOLA, letters are not yet supported, but are on the roadmap to include in the future. A mechanism to notify taxpayers of changes to the status of their tax return is in the IOLA backlog and is being prioritized for future development.
RECOMMENDATION 01125-003
RECOMMENDATION TEXT:
While taxpayers can view digital copies of certain IRS notices in IOLA, letters are not yet supported but are on the roadmap to include in the future. A mechanism to notify taxpayers of changes to the status of their tax return is in the IOLA backlog and is being prioritized for future development.
IRS Action: Partially adopted
This is a work in progress. We’ve made considerable progress over the last few years with regards to the inclusion of additional notices within IOLA, and we have plans to implement letters and other correspondence.
RECOMMENDATION 01125-004
RECOMMENDATION TEXT:
Recommend that the IRS notifies the taxpayer via email and/or text when any new communications are sent or received by the IRS. The ability to enable this should be added to the Online Account.
IRS Action: Partially adopted
We have implemented the capability for taxpayers to be notified of pertinent information related to their tax account via email or in-app notifications, which can be set up through IOLA, and we’ve made steady progress with providing taxpayers with more options to receive notifications about information they care about. SMS/text is on our roadmap to notionally implement in FY26.
RECOMMENDATION 01125-005
RECOMMENDATION TEXT:
Recommend that the IRS notifies the taxpayer via email and/or text whenever a new tax is assessed/ removed, or payment received/removed. The ability to enable this should be added to the Online Account.
IRS Action: Partially adopted
Taxpayers can currently opt to receive an email notification with updates about their payments. As noted above, SMS/text is not yet a feature, but is on the roadmap for notional deployment in FY26.
RECOMMENDATION 01125-006
RECOMMENDATION TEXT:
Recommend IRS add an online feature that provides interactive digital communication as a chat bot within the taxpayer’s online account to direct customers to previously identified frequently asked questions to minimize the need for human assistance.
IRS Action: Partially adopted
Recommend IRS add an online feature that provides interactive digital communication as a chat bot within the taxpayer’s online account to direct customers to previously identified frequently asked questions to minimize the need for human assistance.
RECOMMENDATION 01125-007
RECOMMENDATION TEXT:
Recommend IRS add an online feature that provides interactive digital communication as a chat bot within the taxpayer’s online account to direct customers to previously identified frequently asked questions to minimize the need for human assistance.
IRS Action: Partially adopted
This is currently not on the roadmap or backlog, but it could potentially be included within the FY26 transcripts enhancement capability. The IRS can plan to conduct exploratory research to better understand how taxpayers might use this information when unmasked and conduct a security assessment to ensure taxpayer privacy and data remain confidential.
RECOMMENDATION 01125-008
RECOMMENDATION TEXT:
This is currently not on the roadmap or backlog, but it could potentially be included within the FY26 transcripts enhancement capability. The IRS can plan to conduct exploratory research to better understand how taxpayers might use this information when unmasked and conduct a security assessment to ensure taxpayer privacy and data remain confidential.
IRS Action: Partially adopted
This is a work in progress. This capability is already available via Digital and Mobile Adaptive Forms (DMAF) for forms that require signature. All forms are slowly being added to the DMAF list.
RECOMMENDATION 01125-009
RECOMMENDATION TEXT:
Recommend IRS allow E-signing and submitting Form 2848, Power of Attorney and Declaration of Representative and Form 8821, Authorization of Representation on the online account. Response explanation Currently, tax professionals are able to request Power of Attorney (POA) and Taxpayer Information Authorization (TIA) via Tax Pro Account, and the taxpayer can approve immediately in IOLA.