Bill Overview
Title: Better Service for Taxpayers Act
Description: This bill requires the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to ensure that (1) each IRS office and division is staffed with employees to answer phone calls during standard business hours; and (2) within 15 business days of receipt of a mailed tax return, the agency acknowledges receipt of such tax return by mailing the taxpayer a hard copy response letter. The letter shall include a phone number for the taxpayer to call with questions and a notification of tax return processing.
Sponsors: Rep. Wild, Susan [D-PA-7]
Target Audience
Population: US Taxpayers
Estimated Size: 240000000
- The IRS is a federal agency dealing with taxation in the United States, impacting individuals who are part of the US tax system.
- Every US taxpayer who files taxes will potentially interact with the IRS, hence improvements in IRS service directly affect this population.
- As of 2020, the IRS processed over 240 million tax returns, including individuals and businesses.
- Assuming that the majority of the US population are potential taxpayers, either filing individually or as part of a household, this legislative change will potentially affect all these groups.
Reasoning
- The policy is expected to enhance the accessibility and responsiveness of the IRS, potentially leading to increased satisfaction among taxpayers when dealing with tax-related inquiries.
- A diverse cross section of the population will be sampled to include single individuals, married couples, retirees, small business owners, and others indirectly involved in tax return processes.
- Given the budget constraints, the main objective is to see improvement in service delivery without significantly increasing operational costs.
- Consideration is given to the commonness of taxpayer experiences and their interactions with the IRS.
Simulated Interviews
Software Developer (New York, NY)
Age: 34 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I've experienced long wait times when calling the IRS to clarify my tax questions. This policy might reduce that frustration.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Small Business Owner (Houston, TX)
Age: 45 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I hope this will reduce the time spent on hold and uncertainty regarding tax queries.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 4 |
Retired Teacher (Orlando, FL)
Age: 70 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- An acknowledgment letter will give me peace of mind knowing my return was received.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Freelancer (San Francisco, CA)
Age: 28 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 11/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It could really help freelancers like me who often need to call the IRS for clarity on taxes.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 4 |
Financial Analyst (Chicago, IL)
Age: 50 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I interact with the IRS infrequently, so this might not significantly change my experience.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
Real Estate Agent (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 37 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Improved IRS service would directly benefit my work efficiency and client satisfaction.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 4 |
Retired (Dallas, TX)
Age: 62 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I don't contact the IRS much, so this probably won't make much difference to me.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Graduate Student (Seattle, WA)
Age: 25 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Quick acknowledgment of receipt would reduce my stress during tax season.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Nonprofit Worker (Denver, CO)
Age: 41 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I look forward to fewer follow-ups and quicker resolution of tax matters.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 4 |
Construction Worker (Cleveland, OH)
Age: 29 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 13/20
Statement of Opinion:
- If I can get faster responses from the IRS, I'd feel less worried about filing correctly.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 4 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $300000000 (Low: $250000000, High: $400000000)
Year 2: $310000000 (Low: $260000000, High: $410000000)
Year 3: $320000000 (Low: $270000000, High: $420000000)
Year 5: $340000000 (Low: $290000000, High: $440000000)
Year 10: $380000000 (Low: $330000000, High: $480000000)
Year 100: $500000000 (Low: $450000000, High: $600000000)
Key Considerations
- Additional staffing and training for IRS could take time, delaying some improvements.
- Potential bureaucratic challenges in implementing system upgrades for acknowledgment letters.