Key Takeaways

• Taxpayer service modernization should connect digital and in person experiences rather than treating each channel independently.
• Trusted identity provides the foundation for continuity across taxpayer interactions while helping protect sensitive financial information.
• Taxpayer Assistance Center modernization presents an opportunity to connect physical locations with the IRS’s broader digital service environment.
• Modernization success should ultimately be measured by the taxpayer experience, including whether people can get help faster and move between channels without unnecessary repetition.

Taxpayers increasingly expect government services to offer the same convenience and accessibility they experience in other parts of their lives. For the IRS, years of investment in online services have changed how millions of taxpayers access information and complete routine transactions.

The next opportunity is to make those digital capabilities part of a more connected taxpayer experience.

In a new guest article for OrangeSlices AI, Keith Johnson, Vice President of Customer Success at Makpar, draws on nearly four decades of experience at the IRS to explore how lessons from the agency’s Online Services modernization can help inform the future of taxpayer service.

Connecting the Taxpayer Journey

Taxpayers do not always interact with the IRS through a single channel. Someone may begin online, seek assistance by phone, or ultimately need to visit a Taxpayer Assistance Center (TAC).

Keith argues that modernization should make those transitions easier. Rather than requiring taxpayers to effectively start over as they move between channels, the IRS has an opportunity to create greater continuity across online services, telephone assistance, correspondence, and in person support.

TAC modernization is an important part of that opportunity. Connecting TACs more closely with the broader taxpayer service environment can help IRS employees provide more effective assistance while reducing unnecessary steps for taxpayers.

Maintaining Trust Across Every Interaction

Greater connectivity also makes trusted identity increasingly important.

The U.S. tax system depends heavily on voluntary compliance, and protecting the privacy of taxpayers’ financial information is an important part of maintaining that trust. As taxpayers move between digital and in person services, the IRS needs confidence in who they are while ensuring their information remains protected.

A strong identity foundation can help provide that continuity, allowing secure taxpayer interactions to extend across channels without introducing unnecessary friction.

Measuring What Matters

Cloud, AI, automation, cybersecurity, and other technologies will continue shaping the future of government services. For Keith, the real measure of modernization is whether it makes it easier for taxpayers to get the help they need.

That means helping people get answers faster, reducing repetition as they move between service channels, protecting their information, and giving IRS employees the tools and context they need to provide effective assistance.

Read Keith’s full OrangeSlices AI guest article, “Building a More Connected Taxpayer Experience,” to learn why the next stage of taxpayer service modernization should bring digital and in person experiences together around the needs of the taxpayer.

Contact Makpar to learn how we help federal agencies modernize digital services, strengthen trusted identity, and create more connected customer experiences.