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New technology on the Web site promises to deliver services at a faster pace to keep pace with increasing demands for online services from the IRS.
Most page addresses are expected to remain the same for users who have bookmarked specific pages, but the IRS cautioned tax professionals in an email Wednesday to make sure their bookmarked favorites are still available after Aug. 30.
Among the changes will be more non-English content in five different languages: Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and Russian. A language menu will be available on every page to enable non-English speakers to access content on the site in their native language.
The IRS also plans to leverage new search capabilities to better tag and target content to deliver the most relevant and meaningful search results to visitors to IRS.gov. In addition, related forms and publications will be featured in a separate section on the search results page.
The IRS has analyzed usage of the IRS.gov site and identified the most visited pages and most used tools. The main navigation has been modified to accommodate the primary needs of getting critical information about filing, payments, refunds, credits and forms.
However, the current IRS.gov navigation structure, and all the information on this site, will remain available. The "Information for..." menu, located at the top of every page, will still allow users to select their role (whether they are an individual, business, nonprofit, tax professional, or retirement plan administrator) to navigate the new IRS.gov the same way they do now.
The IRS plans to use the promotional banner on the Web pages to feature timely and relevant information, updates and tools. The banner will provide a more dynamic experience designed to put the most important tools and services front and center so users can reach them more quickly.
The latest news will continue to be available via subscription services that provide email updates from the IRS, including tax tips, legislative changes, IRS programs, and updates for tax professionals, small businesses, payroll providers and retirement plan administrators.
The home page will also provide access to a variety of tools designed to promote online interaction with the IRS. The list of tools will change regularly to coincide with filing and registration due dates, new program launches and system enhancements.
The middle of the home page will be devoted to recent press releases and a rotating spotlight of IRS.gov highlights. Visitors can allow the spotlight to run on its own, navigate using the tabs at the top or the arrows at the bottom, or click on the pause button to focus on a single topic.
The new IRS.gov will display a consistent footer on every page throughout the site. The footer contains links to other sites and important information about resolving an issue, careers at the IRS, the IRS’s organization and performance metrics.
The IRS plans to continue to leverage social media to share the latest information on tax changes, initiatives, products and services. Outlets include YouTube videos, Facebook postings, Twitter pages and podcasts.
Separately, the IRS said Wednesday that several of its systems will be unavailable Labor Day weekend due to a planned power outage. The IRS is replacing and upgrading a computing center electrical plant over the Labor Day weekend. Various electronic services, including online applications for Employer Identification Numbers, will be unavailable beginning approximately noon Eastern Time on Friday, Aug. 31 until approximately noon ET on Tuesday, Sept. 4.
The Modernized eFile system will be unavailable beginning approximately 3:00 p.m. ET on Friday, Aug. 31 until approximately noon ET on Tuesday, Sept. 4.
