IRS Embraces Digitalization Initiative to Drive Innovation and Improve Taxpayer Experience

The Enterprise Digitalization Office at the IRS is focused on strategic objective 1.2: the digitalization initiative. One of the projects under this initiative is the digital intake initiative, which aims to modernize the way paper tax returns are processed by electronically filing them.

Learning from Other Agencies and Collaborating with Industry

The IRS has built upon the experiences of other agencies like the Veterans Affairs Department to implement technology and train its processors. They have also reached out to industry partners for assistance, not prescribing solutions but presenting the problem they wish to solve.

Rocket Booster for Innovation

According to Harrison Smith, director of the Enterprise Digitalization Office at the IRS, the digital intake initiative showcases what can be achieved with a bit of innovation and a small amount of funding. The goal is to create trust and engage business owners by being pro-digitization and not anti-status quo. The focus is on fostering more innovation through collaboration and partnership.

Improving IRS Services on Mobile Devices

The Office of Digitization plans to further build on its successes by exploring artificial intelligence, machine learning, and robotics process automation tools to improve the taxpayer experience on mobile phones. With a significant portion of citizens accessing the IRS website through mobile devices, enhancing their experience has become a top priority.