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IR-2007-84, April 11, 2007
WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue
Service today announced it has submitted
to Congress the completed Taxpayer
Assistance Blueprint. The Blueprint is the
joint response of the IRS, the IRS
Oversight Board and the National Taxpayer
Advocate to a congressional mandate for
the development of a five-year plan for
the delivery of taxpayer service.
The Blueprint represents the most
extensive IRS research ever conducted into
the needs, preferences and behaviors of
taxpayers and partners who assist them in
complying with the tax laws, such as
volunteer and paid tax return preparers.
This research formed the foundation for
the strategic plan for taxpayer service
outlined in the Blueprint. The plan
includes a variety of specific
recommendations for improving IRS services
for taxpayers and partners. Improving
taxpayer service is an important part of a
comprehensive strategy to reduce the
“tax gap” –– the difference
between the amount of tax that taxpayers
pay and the amount that they owe –– by
helping taxpayers understand and meet
their tax obligations.
“As this filing season draws to a
close, we are committed to providing good
service to taxpayers and enforcing the
law,” IRS Commissioner Mark W. Everson
said. “This document is an important
step to help us continue to improve our
taxpayer services.”
To address congressional and
stakeholder interests, the Blueprint was
designed to:
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Establish a taxpayer and partner
baseline of needs, preferences and
behaviors;
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Create a transparent process for
making service-related resource and
operational decisions;
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Develop a framework to improve
service delivery; and
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Define both short-term performance
and long-term business goals and
metrics to assess service value.
“The Blueprint outlines the way
forward,” said Richard Morgante,
Commissioner of the IRS Wage and
Investment Division. “It responds to the
needs of taxpayers and partners and
supports the government’s compliance
objectives, all within the context of our
budget.”
“It is critical that the IRS
understand what services taxpayers need
and their preferences for receiving
them,” IRS Oversight Board Chairman Paul
B. Jones said. “The Taxpayer Assistance
Blueprint is based on extensive research
and provides a strategic five-year plan to
help the IRS make the most out of its
investments in taxpayer services.”
"I am pleased that the IRS
recognizes the need for a taxpayer-centric
approach to taxpayer service –– one
that is based on sound research and
observation,” National Taxpayer Advocate
Nina Olson said. “The TAB is a
much-needed first step to delivering this
service in ways that meet taxpayer
needs."
The Blueprint offers recommendations to
expand, simplify, standardize and automate
services, and to improve and expand
technology infrastructure. It includes
recommendations for increasing education
and outreach to taxpayers, partners and
IRS employees, and incorporating feedback
from these stakeholders into future
service decisions.
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