The Taxpayer Experience Improvement Act aims to enhance taxpayer experience with the IRS by establishing a real-time dashboard to show backlogs and wait times, expanding electronic access to return and refund information, improving callback technology, and offering online account access. This includes providing individualized, specific, and up-to-date information on tax returns, expanding callback options for taxpayers, and creating a website or mobile application for taxpayers to access return, document, notice, or letter information. It also includes measures to investigate and address unauthorized disclosure of return information and conduct focus groups with taxpayers and tax professionals for feedback.
Taxpayer Experience Improvement Act
This bill requires the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to provide certain information related to call volume, wait times, and other metrics. The bill also expands online taxpayer accounts and electronic access to federal tax return and refund information.
Specifically, the bill requires the IRS to provide in real time on its public website the number of callers for each applicable phone number extension that are (1) connected to speak with an IRS representative, (2) connected to speak with an automated system, and (3) waiting to speak with either an IRS representative or an automated system.
The website also must include
- the longest wait time of any caller waiting to speak with an IRS representative;
- the estimated wait time to speak with an IRS representative;
- if a callback service is available or when such service is scheduled to be available; and
- certain monthly metrics, including the average and median wait times and call lengths.
Further, the bill expresses the sense of Congress that, by 2028, the IRS should provide an option to receive a callback for any call that is not answered within five minutes.
Finally, the bill requires the IRS to make available (via website or mobile application) to any taxpayer certain information, including
- tax returns, documents, notices, or letters sent to the taxpayer by the IRS or filed with (or sent to) the IRS by the taxpayer;
- the status of a federal tax return or refund; and
- an estimated date for receipt of a refund.