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Yellen Praises IRS For Completing "Modernization Efforts" Ahead of Schedule

Yellen Praises IRS For Completing "Modernization Efforts" Ahead of Schedule

Biden administration Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has been spearheading the IRS's modernization efforts and is now praising the tax agency. 

In mid-August, following the passage of the Democrat-backed Inflation Reduction Act, Yellen gave the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) a six-month timeframe to present a "modernization plan" that will improve the overall American taxpayer experience.

At the time, the Associated Press obtained Yellen's memo, and reported the following details:

...[Yellen] outlines the importance of modernizing IRS computer systems and ensuring the agency has an adequately-staffed workforce now that the tax collector is set to receive nearly $80 billion over the next 10 years.

That funding is needed for more than technology. At least 50,000 IRS employees are expected to retire over the next five years.

As part of the IRA, the IRS is set to receive the aforementioned $80 billion in additional funding and resources to hire 87,000 new employees

Now, Yellen has visited the IRS's New Carrollton Center in Prince George's County, Maryland, where she has praised the modernization team's efforts.

According to an official transcript from the United States Treasury Department, the Secretary said, in part:

"Just last month, here in New Carrollton, I heard that a team of your software developers completed the conversion of more than 200,000 lines of Assembly Language Code to Java. This is widely recognized as one of the most complex modernization efforts in all of government. And your team completed it more than a month ahead of schedule. I know many of you have worked weekends and traveled across the country to provide tax filing assistance to thousands of taxpayers. These are people who would otherwise not have had any help."

Yellen went on to note that she greatly "appreciates the work" that IRS agents and IT professionals do on a daily basis. 

She also outlined some of the specific initiatives that will be funded by the agency's $80 billion boon, including the hiring of new phone representatives -- and a commitment to boost the level of phone service to 85% from 10-15% -- automated scanning of paper returns into digital copies, and development of a government-backed free filing system that will rival TurboTax and other software programs.

Yellen concluded her remarks to IRS employees by saying, "So thank you. I will do whatever I can to support you. And today, like every day, I am proud to be your colleague."

What do you think about the IRS modernizing?

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