IRS Redesigning ‘Long and Difficult’ Notices to More Simple Version for Taxpayers

The effort will affect 170 million notices sent to individual taxpayers annually and over 40 million sent to businesses.

A sign outside the Internal Revenue Service building is seen in Washington on May 4, 2021. Patrick Semansky/AP Photo

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced a “sweeping effort” on Tuesday aimed at simplifying and clarifying millions of letters it sends to taxpayers annually.

“The Simple Notice Initiative will review and redesign hundreds of notices with an immediate focus on the most common notices that individual taxpayers receive,” the IRS said in a Jan. 23 press release. “The IRS sends about 170 million notices to individual taxpayers every year, covering a range of issues from claiming the credits and deductions for which they are eligible for as well as meet their tax obligations. These notices are often long and difficult for taxpayers to understand. And they do not always clearly and concisely communicate the next steps a taxpayer must take.”