IRS Releases Annual Report to Spotlight Taxpayer Service During COVID-19

The IRS has released its 2021 annual report illustrating the Service’s work delivering taxpayer service and compliance efforts during COVID-19 while spotlighting actions taken by IRS employees to help people during the challenging year. “Internal Revenue Service Progress Update / Fiscal Year 2020 – Putting Taxpayers First“ outlines how the IRS overcame difficulties during the pandemic to deliver Economic Impact Payments (EIPs) promptly. Simultaneously, IRS employees made adjustments to complete a successful filing season despite office closures.

The document lays out numerous examples of how IRS employees helped taxpayers, including:

• Expanded information and assistance available to taxpayers in additional languages and underserved communities to help deliver Economic Impact Payments, advance Child Tax Credit payments and other services.

• Developed new online portals for individuals to check on their pandemic-related relief payments and make updates to their personal information.

• Offered a new online option for tax professionals to obtain signatures from individual and business clients and submit authorization forms electronically. Tax pros also now have an online account option, with new features being added.

• Served their communities outside official duties through charitable work and service projects.