The IRS has chosen to use TaxWise software from CCH Small Firm Services at its tax assistance sites for the 15th consecutive year.
IRS employees and volunteers will use the software to prepare and electronically file tax returns for low-income and elderly taxpayers, as well as those with limited proficiency in English.
TaxWise and its Web-based version, TaxWise Online, were selected following an open, two-year competition involving several software publishers. The five-year contract award (one year with four one-year renewal options) covers approximately 10,000 IRS-supported Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and Tax Counselors for the Elderly locations as well as IRS-operated Taxpayer Assistance Centers. TaxWise is also provided to IRS employees for preparing and e-filing their own personal tax returns.
Altogether, more than 3 million federal and 2 million state returns were prepared and filed in 2009 under the IRS contract.
In awarding the contract, the IRS said that both TaxWise and TaxWise Online provide strong security requirements to protect taxpayer data and interview-based completion, bridging traditional preparer and individual-based software.
