IRS Carrot To Entice E-Filing

I mentioned several weeks ago that IRS was planning to make some new efficient web based services available to tax practitioners who participate in their e-filing program. I really liked the ideas for the new services and, although I still think actually using e-filing for clients of the kind I work with (complicated) is irresponsible, I mentioned that I might just sign up with IRS as an e-filer in order to be able to use the new services.

It doesn't look like that is going to be possible, according to this news release from IRS. They are only going to allow the new web based services to be accessed by practitioners who e-file at least 100 1040s each year. That counts me out.

I guess I'll have to continue dealing with IRS via the old fashioned ways until they realize that they are just hurting themselves by denying us non e-filers access to the more efficient methods. It may take several years for IRS to come to that realization since they don't do anything quickly and are not exactly filled with rocket scientists. But, I do have to give IRS some credit for using the Carrot approach to encouraging e-filing rather than the Stick approach being discussed by the PRC to make e-filing mandatory there.

KMK
- posted by Kerry M. Kerstetter, MBA~CPA~ATP~ATA @ 2/24/2003 02:21:00 PM Send this post: