If the complexity of IRS notices has historically got you scratching your head, you’re not alone. Fortunately, the IRS is addressing this problem with a “Simple Notice Initiative”, a program which will be rolled out in the coming years to improve communications with customers by focusing on:
- Adding simpler language to notices
- Reducing the number of pages in each notice
- Updating fonts
This ambitious project will end up impacting up to 90% of notices distributed by the IRS by the 2025 filing season. It will begin by updating notices commonly distributed to individual taxpayers including notices proposing adjustments to income, suggested corrections to mistakes and taxpayer reminders about amounts owed.
By 2026, the IRS plans to expand the initiative to review and update notices for business taxpayers and those notices less frequently distributed to individuals.
The Simple Notice Initiative began with a pilot program that overhauled a single notice, 5071C. After cutting the page length from seven to two, updating the font and adding a QR code linking to the IRS web page, the IRS fielded 16% fewer calls and benefited from a 6% increase in taxpayers using the online option.
These promising results helped propel an expansion of the initiative to better enhance the agency’s move toward modern digital and communication tools.
Councilor, Buchanan & Mitchell (CBM) is a professional services firm delivering tax, accounting and business advisory expertise throughout the Mid-Atlantic region from offices in Bethesda, MD and Washington, DC.
