Cybersecurity

$500 million for TMF, other tech added to Build Back Better

Governmentwide technology modernization appropriations are back in the Biden administration's signature Build Back Better legislation, but the timing of a vote remains unclear.

Cybersecurity

Beware of Emails Promising a Third Stimulus Check, FTC Says

The emails are impersonating the IRS and soliciting personal and financial information.

Acquisition

IRS tech, CISA funding in Build Back Better

An effort to put $3.5 billion into key governmentwide tech modernization accounts appears to have come up short in the Build Back Better bill, but there's still a lot of technology spending on the table.

Digital Government

A 60-year-old IRS IT system won't finish modernizing until 2030

The Internal Revenue Service's plan to modernize its key source for individual tax data has seen multiple cost and schedule changes since it started in 2009.

People

IRS solidifies relationship with management group

The IRS and the Professional Managers Association have reached a final consultative agreement to keep agency managers in the loop about agency decisions.

Modernization

IRS’ New Digital Case Management System Failed to Meet Early Expectations

The first releases did not include functionality end-users were expecting and failed to meet Section 508 accessibility standards.

Digital Government

After 3 Years, Key IRS Systems Still Aren’t Properly Encrypted

The inspector general attributed the delays in the agency’s data at rest encryption program to additional mandates and poor adherence to program management best practices.

Modernization

Federal CIO tees up 7 new TMF awards

The awards, the first since TMF's $1 billion plus-up in the American Rescue Plan Act, are expected to be made public soon.

Cybersecurity

Audit: IRS Needs to Improve How It Wipes Taxpayer Data  from Devices

Computer and laptop hard drives that aren’t properly scrubbed could allow exposure of private taxpayer data.

Emerging Tech

IRS’ Criminal Investigators Want Help Breaking into Physical Crypto Wallets

The agency’s digital forensics unit is looking for a small business to help make routine processes out of some nascent research into related hardware hacking techniques.

Digital Government

House Dems seek $1B for IRS to improve access to child tax credit

The IRS had come under criticism for an online tool targeting the neediest recipients of advance child tax credit payments that was not mobile-friendly and lacked non-English language resources.

Modernization

IRS dips into enforcement funds, user fees for IT

"Each year, the IRS must take extraordinary measures to fund IT," IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig explained in an August letter to three senators.

Digital Government

More Than Two-Thirds of Americans Support a Surge in Staff and Funding at IRS

Biden has proposed additional spending at the tax agency, arguing it would help prevent wealthy Americans from dodging their bills.

Modernization

Pilot IRS awards five scanning contracts

The IRS is using an innovative procurement program to test and deploy experimental solutions to digitize paper files as part of an agencywide effort to reduce the reliance on non-machine-readable documentation.

Acquisition

IRS looks to experiment with augmented reality

Taxpayers might soon be able to file their financial documents with the help of AR capabilities thanks to an experimental procurement technique the IRS is using to test and deploy innovative technologies and solutions.

People

How an IRS hiring blitz can help pave the way for IT modernization

The tax agency's chief procurement officer says she's on a mission to find top talent to work with industry while modernizing the agency's acquisition processes amid a ballooning tax gap.

Digital Government

Treasury taps Code for America for tax credit tool

The administration is getting a head start on releasing a permanent, multilingual, mobile-friendly tool for non-filers to sign up for its expanded CTC program with the help of the civic technology non-profit Code for America.

Digital Government

Wyden dings IRS for access issues in tax credit tool

The chairman of the Senate Finance Committee wants the tax agency to offer its advanced child tax credit tool in more mobile-friendly format and make the content available in more languages.

Digital Government

TurboTax-maker Intuit will leave free tax filing partnership with IRS

The company’s decision throws the future of the Free File program, which was created as an alternative to an IRS free tax filing system, into doubt.