Etaac 2026 annual report urges action by Congress and IRS

In its advice to the IRS, the committee’s recommendations focused on six priority areas:

• Technology and data sharing
• Sustained IRS funding
• AI and human-centered design
• Digital filing and payments
• Tax simplification and outreach
• Fraud prevention and preparer regulation

“ETAAC members have devoted significant time and expertise in identifying and analyzing electronic tax administration issues,” said IRS Chief Executive Officer Frank J. Bisignano. “We appreciate the significant work the Committee put into this report and look forward to reviewing its recommendations.”

The recommendations to Congress included a request to consider tax simplification when implementing tax policy goals, authority for the IRS to regulate non-credentialed tax return preparers, predictable funding of the IRS for efficient and effective taxpayer service, and prioritization of continued technology modernization enhancements.

The report PDF was released today at a public meeting in Washington, D.C.

CEO Bisignano thanked four members of the committee whose terms ended today:

• Douglas Harding, Principal Examiner, Connecticut Department of Revenue Services.
• Carol Lew, Partner, Stradling, Yocca, Carlson & Rauth, LLP.
• Stephanie Plaza, Senior Lead Product Manager, Wolters Kluwer.
• Mark Steber, Chief Tax Officer, Jackson Hewitt Tax Service.

About ETAAC

ETAAC operates under the rules of the Federal Advisory Committee Act. It works closely with the Security Summit, a joint effort of the IRS, state tax administrators and the nation's tax industry, established in 2015 to fight tax-related identity theft and cybercrime.

The members of ETAAC represent various segments of the tax community, including individual and business taxpayers, tax professionals and preparers, tax software developers, payroll service providers, the financial industry and state and local governments.