Internal Revenue Service headquarters building in Washington, DC.
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The IRS on Friday introduced a new taxpayer department as part of a long-term plan to improve customer service.
According to the press release, the office will focus on “all aspects of taxpayer transactions” by working closely with the Taxpayer Advocates Service, an independent organization of the IRS.
Taxpayers may see an increase in customer callbacks, payment options, two-way messaging, and multilingual services in the short term.
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The office was proposed in a 2021 report to Congress calling for over 100 different programs and tools, including enhanced account access, more electronic files and payment options, digital signatures, secure two-way messaging, and more.
“The IRS is committed to ensuring that clients can meet taxpayers where they are, at the moments that matter most in people’s lives, and in a way that delivers the service the public expects and deserves,” said Chief Operations Officer with IRS taxpayers Ken Corbin. statement.
The announcement comes amid a challenging season for the agency, which is still struggling with a backlog of millions of backlogs for the 2020 tax year.
However, proponents say the IRS needs sustainable, long-term funding to improve outdated technology and address customer service issues.
A group of former tax officials and policy experts on Thursday sent a letter to appropriations committees calling for funds to address backlogs and tax gaps.
National Taxpayer Advocate Erin Collins raised similar concerns in February testimony before the House Order and Facilities Subcommittee.
“In order to meet basic taxpayer service needs, the IRS requires additional funding in its taxpayer service account to improve return processing, mail handling, and telephone service,” she said.
Although President Joe Biden has offered $80 billion in IRS funding over the next decade to fight tax evasion, these plans have been met with conservative resistance.