Opportunities Exist to Improve Taxpayer Service to Underserved, Underrepresented, and Rural Communities

The Chief Taxpayer Experience Officer should define the demographic characteristics of an underserved, underrepresented, and rural taxpayer for Service-wide use. Once identified, this information should be shared with all IRS business units involved in delivering the IRS’s goal of increasing access to and availability of various customer service options.

The Chief Taxpayer Experience Officer should ensure that current data sets are used when identifying the population of underserved, underrepresented, and rural taxpayers, once the demographic characteristics have been defined for these individuals.

The Chief Taxpayer Experience Officer should develop a comprehensive communication strategy plan which includes partnering with local resources to inform taxpayers of the various customer service assistance options available and how they can access these services.

The Chief Taxpayer Experience Officer should evaluate the use and adaptability of the GCM to identify locations that would benefit from the expansion of services to underserved taxpayers.

The Chief Taxpayer Experience Officer should conduct an analysis to determine if it would be beneficial to increase opportunities of shared space with the SSA or other Federal or State agencies, i.e., U.S. Post Office, State Department of Motor Vehicle, specifically in locations where face-to-face taxpayer services are not currently being offered and the nearest location is over 100 miles away.