Washington (July 19, 2004) -- The Internal Revenue Service has unveiled an updated strategic plan that focuses on three broad goals for the agency through 2009: improved service to taxpayers, enhanced enforcement of the tax laws, and modernized business processes and technology.
“In recent years, the IRS has made significant progress in improving service,” IRS Commissioner Mark W. Everson said. “While the agency’s commitment to service continues, the IRS must now sharpen the focus on enforcement.”
The strategic plan supports the agency’s key enforcement priorities: discouraging and deterring non-compliance, especially by corporations and high-income individual taxpayers; assuring that attorneys, accountants and other tax practitioners adhere to professional standards and follow the law; detecting and deterring domestic and offshore tax and financial criminal activity; and discouraging non-compliance within tax-exempt and government entities and misuse of such entities by third parties for tax avoidance.
The plan’s third priority, to improve the efficiency of the tax administration system through modernization efforts, envisions building upon the success of the e-file program and other recently introduced electronic tools for individual and business taxpayers.
-- WebCPA staff
