IRS will start simplifying its notices to taxpayers as agency continues modernization push

WASHINGTON (AP) — The IRS wants to rewrite its complicated letters to taxpayers and speak to people in plain English.

The federal tax collector is rewriting and sending out commonly received notices ahead of the 2024 tax filing season as part of its new “Simple Notice Initiative.”

“Redesigned notices will be shorter, clearer and easier to understand,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on a Tuesday call with reporters to preview the initiative. “Taxpayers will see the difference when they open the mail and when they log into their online accounts.”

The 2024 tax season begins on January 29.

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More than 170 million notices are sent out annually by the IRS to taxpayers regarding credits, deductions and taxes owed. The notices are often needlessly long and filled with legal jargon — forcing many confused taxpayers to call the agency and jam up the phone lines.

Simpler notices in plain language will help people understand their tax liability and improve tax enforcement, said IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel,