G4-2024

FY24 Goal 4: Enhance TAS Processes and Technology to Improve Taxpayer Service

Organizational Objectives

Work with the IRS to improve access to digital tools for individual and business taxpayers and tax professionals

Status: Closed
Completion Date: 09/30/2024

Quarterly Update:
1st Quarter: During the first quarter, TAS worked with the IRS to improve access to digital tools for individual and business taxpayers and tax professionals through several activities including developing the Most Serious Problem (MSP# 7- Online Account Access for Taxpayers and Tax Professionals) for inclusion in the 2023 Annual Report to Congress. Also, we scheduled a meeting with Identity Assurance to determine how we can participate in this effort during the second quarter of Fiscal Year 2024.

2nd Quarter: During the second quarter, the National Taxpayer Advocate included as a Most Serious Problem – MSP# 7- Online Account Access for Taxpayers and Tax Professionals – in the 2023 Annual Report to Congress (ARC). Moving forward, we will participate and provide input on Individual Online Account and Business Online Account calls. Also, TAS continued meeting with Identity Assurance representatives, and we will participate on an Identity Assurance “Lessons Learned” session to get feedback from the In-Person Verification Minimum Viable Product Nationwide Launch.

3rd Quarter: TAS will provide recommendations for the development of an in-person identity proofing process for taxpayers to obtain credentials for future access to IRS online applications that require identity proofing.

4th Quarter: During the fourth quarter, we recommended the development of an in-person process for taxpayers to obtain credentials for future access to IRS online applications that require identity proofing. To that end, preliminary review of the Public Draft of NIST-SP 800-63-4 indicated there must be a form of attended flow, either by kiosk or in-person. All actions are complete and this objective is closed.

Optimize the experience of TAS customers

Status: Open
Expected Completion Date: TBD

Quarterly Update:
1st Quarter: During the first quarter, TAS continued optimizing our customers experience through several activities including analyzing receipts for changes to phone gating for filing season. Also, we completed the blueprinting of a new case management system and continued developing the new case management system to improve efficiencies, streamline case processing, and reduce inefficiencies. Further, we started a new project to build a new Case and Systemic Advocacy management system in November 2023.

2nd Quarter: During the second quarter, TAS resumed engagement with Salesforce to continue developing the new case management system and an updated project schedule was delivered. With this progress, the core team began finalizing requirements to begin building.

3rd Quarter: During third quarter, TAS continued to engage with Salesforce in developing Phoenix, the new case management system that is intended to streamline case processing and incorporate identified efficiencies. We continue to build and test features throughout numerous sprints in efforts to complete the system.

4th Quarter: During the fourth quarter, we completed all post filing season updates to the phone gating topics. Also, we continued to engage with Salesforce in developing our new case management system that is intended to streamline case processing and incorporate identified efficiencies. We continue to build and test features throughout numerous sprints in efforts to complete the system for both our Case and Systemic Advocacy divisions. TAS will continue working on this objective in Fiscal Year 2025.

Continue to update existing Service Level Agreements

Status: Closed
Completion Date: 3/31/2024

Quarterly Update:
1st Quarter: During the first quarter, we continued negotiating our Service Level Agreements with IRS’s Small Business/Self-Employed division. Once we finish these negotiations are complete, we will being negotiations with the Large Business and International division and Wage and Investment division.

2nd Quarter: During the second quarter, Service Level Agreements (SLAs) negotiations with Small Business/Self-Employed (SB/SE) and Large Business & International (LB&I) Business Operating Divisions along with the other IRS Operating Divisions were integrated as a continuous part of our normal work processes.

All actions completed. This objective is closed.

Continue to conduct a comprehensive analysis of TAS’s intake process with emphasis on identifying ways to enhance customer intake in the future

Status: Open
Expected Completion Date: TBD

Quarterly Update:
1st Quarter: In the first quarter, TAS continued conducting a comprehensive analysis of TAS’s intake process with emphasis on identifying ways to enhance customer intake in the future. This included starting a Lean Six Sigma process to identify process improvements to reduce the number of days between case receipt and case assignment to a case advocate. We also continued to explore new ways to address our Account Management System (AMS) inventory ensuring taxpayer cases are loaded on to the Taxpayer Advocate Management Information System quickly.

2nd Quarter: During the second quarter, the Lean Six Sigma team built a process map of the intake process and all steps it takes from receiving an inquiry in TAS to assignment to a Case Advocate. The team also completed a Measure Tollgate Review and started analyzing the process map it created. Further, we planned and implemented a new process to allow NTA toll-free assistors to flag Offset Bypass Refund (OBR) requests for TAS to work as a priority.

Lastly, TAS leadership decided to postpone the development of the Digital and Mobile Adaptive Forms (DMAF) project based on concerns the IRS does not have processes in place to do end to end digital processing of the form. Separately, we explored improved digital capabilities by creating a new “criteria code” 10 on AMS that is used by IRS to flag OBR requests.

3rd Quarter: TAS continued working to implement the results of the Lean Six Sigma results and designed a pilot for analysis in late July.

4th Quarter: During the fourth quarter, the pilot was approved and conducted from August 12th through September 6th. We are working to review and analyze the data for validation of the pilot and formal project closure. With the successful deployment and completion of the pilot the team will work to put together a final review of the successes and challenges (if any) during the pilot and will provide final recommendations for changes to leadership. TAS will continue working on this objective in Fiscal Year 2025.

Review the operations, metrics, and results of other large incoming call telephone service providers through both direct and indirect means to develop benchmarks and recommended metrics and goals for IRS consideration

Status: Open
Expected Completion Date: TBD

Quarterly Update:
1st Quarter: Work on this activity will begin during the second quarter of Fiscal Year 2024.

2nd Quarter: During the second quarter, TAS contacted multiple resources in state governments and private industry regarding large volumes of calls to call centers to obtain unpublished details of their operations, metrics and results.

Moving forward in the third quarter, we will conduct research and review past reports that include information from the General Accounting Office and the Treasury Inspector General and we will conduct research on databases and review previous reports available for IRS operations and metrics surrounding their toll-free telephone service.

3rd Quarter: During the third quarter, TAS continued reviewing the operations, metrics, and results of other large incoming call telephone service providers through both direct and indirect means to develop benchmarks and recommended metrics and goals for IRS consideration.

4th Quarter: During the fourth quarter, TAS continued its review of published reports on telephone customer service operations to provide a comprehensive analysis of the available data. TAS will continue working on this objective in Fiscal Year 2025.

Continue to evaluate and implement emerging options for digital interactions with customers to reduce burden and gain efficiencies, including deploying a web virtual assistant (e.g., chat bot), expanding the virtual assistance features to phone assistance and live agent interactions, expanding the Documentation Upload Tool, and using digital form technology to reduce the need for transcription of the Applications for Taxpayer Advocate Assistance

Status: Closed
Completion Date: 10/01/2023

Quarterly Update:
1st Quarter: During the first quarter, TAS worked on and completed the delivery of a new case management system which, in the long term, will incorporate chat bot functionality. This functionality will need to be built out into a release schedule as a result activity is closed until release schedule is defined. This objective is closed.

Continue determining taxpayer needs and preferences for establishing online accounts with the IRS and authenticating secure access to those accounts

Status: Closed
Completion Date: 1/31/2024

Quarterly Update:
1st Quarter: During the first quarter, TAS and the National Taxpayer Advocate developed a study report, entitled, “Taxpayer Opinions of IRS Individual Online Accounts and a Review of Online Accounts and Web Services Offered to Businesses and Tax Professionals by U.S. State and Foreign Country Taxing Authorities” to address this objective.

2nd Quarter: On January 31, 2024, the National Taxpayer Advocate published a study report, entitled, “Taxpayer Opinions of IRS Individual Online Accounts and a Review of Online Accounts and Web Services Offered to Businesses and Tax Professionals by U.S. State and Foreign Country Taxing Authorities”, which addressed this objective.

All actions completed. This objective is closed.

Continue working with the IRS to influence the digital services implementation plans to emphasize proactive capabilities for taxpayers

Status: Closed
Completion Date: 10/01/2023

Quarterly Update:
1st Quarter: All actions in this objective were complete during Fiscal Year 2023 and finalized the first quarter of FY 2024. This objective is closed.

Work with the IRS Business Operating Divisions to develop procedures for the IRS in reviewing and responding to the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel recommendations

Status: Closed
Completion Date: 10/01/2023

Quarterly Update:
1st Quarter: All actions in this objective were complete during Fiscal Year 2023 and finalized the first quarter of FY 2024. This objective is closed.

Return to FY24 TAS Operational Plan