Internal Revenue Service Goals for 2020 - Part 1

       The focus of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) going into 2020 is to apply the changes stated in the Taxpayer First Act. This law was signed in July 2019 and is supposed to have a detailed written plan, that brings it from the page to real life by September 2020. The goal behind it is to change how the IRS interacts with taxpayers, handles appeals, and upgrade the technology it uses.

          This will create an independent Office of Appeals to handle taxpayer challenges. Until then, there is a Taxpayer First Act Office which oversees guiding these changes into reality. Before anything happens, the IRS wants to hear feedback and gather information from the private sector, lawmakers, and even IRS employees. This gathering period could last until February. The idea is to be able to present IRS leadership with different options to choose from that can be used to implement the new law. This could mean restructuring the IRS employee base as we know it to better assist taxpayers, or outside consultants could be brought in to give a fresh perspective on the process. The Taxpayer First Act is going to revolutionize the way we all communicate with the IRS, so this process is worth paying attention to.

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