IRS Taxpayer Experience Officer Says Open Your Mail Early

After a multiyear pandemic pause, the agency is resuming its collections efforts, emphasizing its intention to pursue higher earners who owe the most. On Thursday, the IRS said it was sending letters to more than 25,000 people with income over $1 million who have not filed a tax return since 2017.

The agency insists that everyone else will benefit from the $80 billion the agency received through the Inflation Reduction Act passed in 2022. A year before that, the IRS appointed Ken Corbin as its first Chief Taxpayer Experience Officer.

So what does he do all day? I went to the agency’s headquarters in Washington to find out, which was an experience in itself.

First of all, the security guards stuck sticks in my shoes. After a few beeps, they scanned my stockinged legs. Once properly badged – with the words “Escort Only” in the largest font – I spent an hour with Mr. Corbyn. What follows is a condensed version of our conversation, edited for clarity — and his advice for taxpayers like you and me.

So what’s a philosophy major like you doing in a place like this?

My wife of 25 years was a philosophy major and I wanted her to go on a date with me.

I was actually a Chemistry and Philosophy major, and to pay for college, I was working at nights for the IRS, where I started a work-study program when I was 16. I remember applying to medical schools and talking to others about the expense. And my mother asked me the reason for my desire to become a doctor. I really like solving problems and helping people.

He wisely said to me, “Aren’t you serving people at the IRS?” At that time, I started thinking more about government and my job became a career.

Why was it necessary to create the role of Chief Experience Officer?

We really need to look at how people experience the IRS

One thing I’m really excited about that I think is a good measure of the experience is a feature we call customer callbacks.

Here’s one measure of success for me: We’ve saved people over 600,000 hours this year from waiting.

Target This facility was to be available to 95 percent of taxpayers calling for assistance by July. did you hit it?

We have crossed 95 and are at 97 percent.

I’m really pleased to say that this year on our main phone line, when you get on the line, we’re answering the phone in an average of less than five minutes. In fact, we’re exactly two minutes in right now.

It’s still February.

It’s the beginning of filing season.

Talk to me on April 12th.

I will do that.

Can the callback system predict roughly when someone will call me later that day?

I don’t think that’s happening right now, and I think it’s an improvement that I want.

When is the best time to call? Is it like trying to get concert tickets? in the old daysWhere you got on the phone line exactly one second before the time of sale?

Tuesday to Thursday. Mondays are really heavy phone days. People either file their taxes over the weekend or don’t get to file their taxes, or some people may have gotten a little love note from the IRS and don’t want to open it until the weekend, when they can give it a little thought. Can.

The agency has a lot of new money available. You might be licking your chops. What are you using it for that you hope people will notice first?

We employ approximately 5,000 customer service representatives. We have also hired around 800 personal assistants. We have days we call Taxpayer Experience Days, where we are open on Saturdays at our brick-and-mortar walk-in centers. We do one every month during filing season.

We are also able to have our staff work longer hours in the centres, which means we are opening earlier in the day and staying open late into the evening. This allows people who have 9 to 5 jobs to come.

I hope people notice that you can talk to us now. During the pandemic, it was difficult for us. Due to economic impact payments, we were left behind in our normal functioning.

Here’s something that’s on a lot of people’s wish lists: being able to securely message about a problem, with the same person replying so you don’t have to start over every time.

We’re already testing and learning about secure messaging with some of our business customers. It may not be the same person who answers you, but I think we’re really close to building those journeys.

If I had to predict when I would be able to do this myself, I would guess 2038. Do you want to promise something soon by laying your hands on the Bible?

I wouldn’t lay my hands on the Bible, simply because so much of our ability to function depends on laws passed and money we have.

heard. What strategic mistakes do people make when trying to resolve problems with the IRS?

They get a letter or something from the IRS, and they don’t open it. They won’t read it. I’ll be frank with you – it’s the No. 1 thing. I want them to open the letter. Let’s find out how to solve the problem.

Couldn’t you solve this by writing something like “We may owe you money” on the front of the envelope?

This is where the laws get complicated. Believe it or not, if we write on the front of the envelope that we owe you money, we are actually revealing something about you that we are not allowed to reveal, that anyone can see.

Even if it says “maybe”?

This is a revelation.

How do you do your taxes yourself?

As an experience officer, I want to know all kinds of things that are out there. I have used software packages. I have done the paper.

Do you have any favorite cuts that you are able to personally pick up?

The standard cut is probably my favorite. It’s one of those easy things that people can connect with.

I recently spent time With teen volunteers working as tax preparers, They have found that the more money you make, the higher and better your access to deductions in this country. This didn’t seem right, so his question was: What’s going on?

This is a very good question. At the IRS we administer tax laws. So this is really a Congress question. But over the years, there have certainly been benefits and things available to most taxpayers.

In an ideal world, some of those teens would become certified public accountants by age 26 and be working for you by age 32…

I’m liking it already.

But if they’re discouraged by the fairness of the system, how do you talk them into discouraging them?

I would tell them there are different ways you can be a part of the tax ecosystem and become a lawyer. You can work for the IRS, there’s the Taxpayer Advocate Service, where you can work for the department and on the Hill in various ways to see how tax administration works. You can come and become an experience officer.

We all play a role, whether you’re a filer or an employee.

Have you ever been audited?

I don’t think I can answer that question.

Is there any law? You can reveal yourself, right?

Yes, but I will not reveal it about myself. My wife will kill me.