Redesigned Taxpayer Notices and Letters |
| |
In July 2008, Commissioner Shulman appointed the Taxpayer Communications Taskgroup (TACT) to review IRS correspondence. TACT has since been working with key stakeholders, including practitioners, taxpayers, and IRS staff, to redesign and implement new notices and letters. The goal is to increase the clarity, accuracy, and effectiveness of the approximately 1,000 different IRS letters and notices for the 200 million pieces of correspondence sent each year.
The correspondence was redesigned based on best practices and modern expectations. In addition to improving the visual appeal of the notices, the content is rewritten in plain language to help taxpayer’s understand and respond to the IRS notice quickly.
Over time, the goal is to achieve this standard look for all correspondence sent from the IRS. The IRS will start using the first nine new notices in late January 2010. Expect redesigns of more complex notices later this year.
The redesigned notices explain:
- Why the notice was sent
- How the taxpayer should respond
- What the consequence is if the taxpayer does not respond
- Where to find additional resources, publications, and services
Other improved features:
- New section and subsection headings clearly signal important information
- Important reference information appears in masthead
- Convenient payment coupon appears on first page
- Financial information, such as columns of numeric information, are well organized and totals are prominent
The new format guides you to appropriate pages on IRS.gov where you can find accurate and relevant information quickly and easily. Follow this link for general information about notices.
Redesigned notices, round one
The first set of redesigned notices will be released in January 2010 and include (links coming soon):
Images of the new notices
Additional Resources:
|
|
|
Page Last Reviewed or Updated: January 27, 2012
