IRS Electronic Tax Administration Advisory Committee Delivers Report to Congress

The Electronic Tax Administration Advisory Committee (ETAAC) presented its 2013 Annual Report to Congress (see http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p3415.pdf) during a public meeting. The report discusses five groups of recommendations on issues in electronic tax administration.

Highlights of the report include recommendations on the following key outcomes:

• Approve standards for security, privacy, and fraud prevention
• Provide incentives for e-filing employment tax returns
• Expand access to data and online tools
• Leverage relationships in the electronic filing community
• Fund CADE 2 and the 1040 Modernized e-file (MeF) programs

“The IRS appreciates the committee’s hard work and efforts to help the agency improve electronic tax administration for all taxpayers,” said Carol A. Campbell, Director of the Return Preparer Office. “We look forward to reviewing the recommendations that ETAAC members have carefully crafted.”

The 15-member committee provides an organized public forum for discussion of electronic tax administration issues and the overriding goal that paperless filing should be the preferred and most-convenient method of filing tax and information returns.

“With extraordinary challenges facing all sectors of the federal government along with unprecedented budgetary constraints intensified by the 2013 sequester, ETAAC commends the IRS in effectively and efficiently addressing its strategic priorities and, in particular, the significant progress the agency has made toward achieving its 80 percent electronic filing goal,” said Alice Burnett, ETAAC Chair. “The committee further recommends the IRS continue its steadfast focus on fraud and identify theft prevention, as well as the development of additional online tools to better serve the taxpayer and tax preparation community.”

ETAAC submits an annual progress report to Congress each June. The IRS created the ETAAC in 1998 as required by the IRS Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998.

The report is the result of research and analysis as well as meetings with senior IRS executives.

Public comments on the report may be sent to etaac@irs.gov.

Source:  Internal Revenue Service