Additional Actions Are Needed to Improve and Secure the Income Verification Express Service Program

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should assess the risk of providing additional information to both the participants and taxpayers during the transcript request process. The IRS should use the risk assessment to update its communications to the participants and taxpayers through the new IVES system.

The Chief Information Officer should assign a single point of contact responsible for addressing and resolving future EFS outages, including providing service that corresponds to its customers’ work hours.

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should develop a process to ensure that transcript requests for victims of identity theft are not processed erroneously. These processes should include systemic tools to prevent employees from processing the requests. In addition, the processes should continually identify and address tax examiners processing the transcript requests erroneously.

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should make a decision within six months on whether or not to allow additional nonlending participants into the IVES Program.