IRS

Treasury Department Wants Smart Currency to Combat Counterfeiting

The agency’s printing office is asking for “novel and not commercially available” ideas for embedding tech in U.S. currency.

  • By Aaron Boyd

IRS Wants to Be a Testbed for Bleeding-Edge Tech

The new pilot would create a phased buying process with ample testing in IRS environments.

  • By Aaron Boyd

The IRS Wants to Use Social Media to Catch Tax Cheats

Auditors would use the tool to shore up previously identified cases.

  • By Justin Rohrlich, Quartz

The IRS Is Now…on Instagram

The agency is trying to meet taxpayers where they are.

  • By Hanna Kozlowska, Quartz

Government Data Detectives

A special report on how agency data shops are fighting fraud.

  • By Nextgov Staff

Ohio Now Accepts Bitcoin For Tax Payments. What Could Go Wrong?

Is this about grabbing some of the sizzle that comes with all things blockchain and crypto?

  • By Matthew De Silva, Quartz

IRS Failed to Track 11,000 Breached Social Security Numbers for Tax Fraud

The tax agency also failed to review another 15,000 breached taxpayer ID numbers it received for possible fraud monitoring, an audit found.

  • By Joseph Marks

IRS Spent Millions to Set Up Virtual Assistance Centers That No One Is Using

Of the millions of taxpayers looking for help last year, only 2,700 used the Virtual Service Delivery stations.

  • By Aaron Boyd

Watchdog: IRS Declined to Patch Known Weakness Ahead of Tax Day Crash

An inspector general report says the agency opted not to go with an untested patch based on a contractor’s recommendation.

  • By Aaron Boyd

FTC Warns Citizens About Government Imposter Scams

No, the IRS doesn't demand gift cards.

  • By Caitlin Fairchild

IRS Has A Plan to Verify Taxpayers’ IDs. Now It Needs to Do It.

The agency has a plan to improve taxpayer authentication but needs to work out details on funding and execution, according to a government watchdog.

  • By Aaron Boyd

The IRS Doesn’t Know How to Get in Touch With American Expats. But It Can Revoke Their Passports

The tax agency reportedly struggles to send mail to foreign addresses.

  • By Aamna Mohdin, Quartz

There’s Even More Bad News About IRS Information Security

A board charged with overseeing the agency’s sprawling active directory networks isn’t fulfilling its basic responsibilities.

  • By Joseph Marks

IRS Wants Artificial Intelligence To Guard Taxpayer Data

The tax agency wants to know if the AI and machine learning are mature enough to secure its systems from cyberattacks.

  • By Aaron Boyd

IRS’ Rush to Secure Exposed Taxpayer Data Left It Vulnerable Again

Personal information about more than 350,000 taxpayers was compromised in 2015. Three years later, it’s still not secure.

  • By Joseph Marks

IRS Plans to Hire 1,700, Upgrade Outdated Technology

In a new strategic plan, the agency projects a 17 percent increase in phone calls as it implements the new tax law.

  • By Charles S. Clark

The IRS Doesn’t Know Who’s Accessing Its Most Sensitive Data

The tax agency also isn’t patching vulnerabilities on those systems in a timely manner, an audit found.

  • By Joseph Marks

Using Artificial Intelligence to Reduce Tax Fraud

Machine-learning technology can serve as a valuable tool for tax auditors, but what is the best technique?

  • By Deborah Pianko

IRS’ 60-Year-Old IT System Failed on Tax Day Due to New Hardware

Congress and watchdogs have been warning the IRS to upgrade its systems for years.

  • By Frank Konkel and Aaron Boyd

IRS Says Online Tax Systems Are Back In Business

Agency teams worked through the night to restore services, the acting administrator said.

  • By Aaron Boyd