Through this advancing e-file report, the IRS is taking the first step toward defining a comprehensive strategy and set of actions to achieve the 80% e-file goal established in the Internal Revenue Service Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998 (RRA98). The primary purpose of this report is to gather substantiated information related to e-filing in one place and analyze it to ascertain the facts and considerations that the IRS, its third party partners, and the US Congress must address to achieve the 80% e-file goal.
This report also serves as input to future efforts to specify, evaluate, plan, and execute actions to meet the 80% e-file goal.
The question of how to achieve the 80% e-file goal has been a subject of much discussion and debate. Like any issue with diverse constituents, various opinions and perspectives must be considered before any decisions are made about where to focus attention and scarce resources. While each point of view seems reasonable on its own, looking at the ideas and opinions on the whole provides the best means of evaluating the relative impacts and merits of each. The IRS and its third party partners have made significant progress to date—60% of individual tax returns were e-filed during the 2008 tax filing season. The remaining 40% highlights the need to explore multiple options to reach the 80% e-file goal.
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