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IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel has stated that the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 has provided the agency with millions of dollars for essential updates and improvements. The improvements will be focused on making tax filing easier and less burdensome for taxpayers, and will include extended hours at Taxpayer Assistance Centers, reduced call wait times, improved online services, and a pilot direct-file program. The IRS will also be working on enhancing security measures to protect against tax scams and fraud, which cost taxpayers an estimated $5.7 billion in 2022.
IRS Commissioner Pledges Improved Tax Filing Season Due to Inflation Reduction Act Funding
IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel announces that the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 is channeling crucial funds to the agency for significant updates. Werfel ensures a smoother, simpler, and more efficient tax filing season, which commenced on Monday.
Werfel asserts, “We’re making alterations considering the taxpayer, to make it less burdensome, and less intimidating.” He emphasizes the IRS’s dedication to aiding taxpayers in filing accurate and complete tax returns to receive their deserved refunds and credits.
The commissioner attributes these improvements to the millions injected into the agency from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. He states, “We’re just getting started,” noting that the funds are aiding improvements in technology, service levels, and decreasing wait times.
Key Improvements to IRS Services
Enhancements include extended weekday and Saturday hours at Taxpayer Assistance Centers, pop-up walk-in Taxpayer Assistance Centers for taxpayers far from the nearest center, and a reduction in call wait times. Werfel also highlights that taxpayers can now upload documents, including correspondence and notices back to the IRS digitally. He suggests, “Filing electronically and selecting direct deposit is the quickest way to receive your refund, typically within two weeks.”
To aid taxpayers, the IRS has enhanced its “Where’s my refund?” online tool, offers free tax filing help online, and provides information on how to protect against and report scams online. The IRS estimates that tax scams and fraud resulted in $5.7 billion losses for taxpayers in 2022.
Werfel cautions taxpayers, “Bad actors make false promises for tax benefits and fake threats on tax penalties. If you’re getting an unexpected call from someone claiming to be the IRS, it is almost certainly not the IRS.”
In select states, the IRS is piloting a direct-file program, allowing taxpayers to file taxes directly with the IRS from mid-March. Werfel concludes, “We’re very interested in learning what taxpayers want from the IRS. We’ll report back to the public the experience we had and taxpayers had with this new free-filing option, and we’ll figure out whether it’s the right thing to do to expand it to all 50 States.”
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