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Optima Tax Relief Recaps the 2024 Tax Filing Season
As the April tax filing deadline passed, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) celebrates a successful 2024 tax filing season.
11:14 03 May 2024
As the April tax filing deadline passed, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) celebrates a successful 2024 tax filing season marked by significant improvements and expanded services. Through increased funding and strategic initiatives, the IRS has made substantial strides in enhancing taxpayer services, both online and in-person.Optima Tax Relief reviews the key highlights and accomplishments of the 2024 tax filing season.
Record Funding Spurs Service Expansion
Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act funding, the IRS has experienced service levels unseen in over a decade, with double-digit growth observed in critical areas. This substantial funding boost has enabled the IRS to elevate its service standards and provide unparalleled assistance to taxpayers across the nation.
Commissioner Danny Werfel's Perspective
IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel expressed satisfaction with the IRS's performance during the 2024 tax season, highlighting the significant improvements in taxpayer service. Werfel emphasized that a well-funded IRS has made a substantial difference in taxpayer experience, with service levels surpassing those of the past decade. He reiterated the IRS's commitment to ongoing improvements and transformation.
Key Achievements and Milestones
- Improved Phone Service: The IRS achieved an impressive level of service on its main phone lines, surpassing 88%. This is up from 84% in 2023 and a major boost from pandemic era period’s 15%. This marked a notable increase from previous years and a five-fold surge from service levels observed during the pandemic era. In addition, the IRS answered 16.8% more calls this year than last year. The average wait time was just over three minutes on the IRS main phone line compared to four minutes last year and 28 minutes in 2022.
- Enhanced In-Person Assistance: IRS employees at Taxpayer Assistance Centers (TACs) served 170,000 more taxpayers in-person compared to the previous year, reflecting a 37% increase. Extended hours and weekend availability made it more convenient for taxpayers to seek assistance. In total, service hours were increased by 11,000.
- Expanded Online Services: IRS.gov witnessed a surge in traffic, with nearly 500 million visits, an 18% increase from the previous year. The Where's My Refund? tool accounted for over 275 million visits, showcasing its popularity among taxpayers.
- Free Tax Filing Options: The IRS saw a rise in taxpayers filing for free, facilitated by volunteer sites, Direct File, and Free File partnerships. The Direct File pilot program and partnerships with Free File partners generated substantial growth in free tax filings. In total, over 450,000 returns were filed for free between these programs.
- Chatbot Utilization: The IRS's virtual assistant tool experienced a significant uptick in usage, with 832,000 uses recorded during the filing season, indicating its effectiveness in assisting taxpayers. This is a 150% increase from 2023.
Conclusion
The IRS continues to offer support and assistance to taxpayers. Taxpayers can access help through the special free help page on IRS.gov. Additionally, those who filed for an extension through October 15 should note their responsibilities. Most importantly, taxpayers should remember that even if they were granted an extension, payment obligations were due on April 15. If they haven’t done so already, they should make every effort to pay their taxes immediately if they owe.