Published: February 11, 2026 | Last Updated: March 5, 2026

Expand IRS Online Account Functionality

A comprehensive, user-friendly suite of digital self-service tools is essential to give taxpayers and tax professionals convenient, secure, and timely access to services while reducing reliance on paper, phone, and in-person assistance and improving trust and satisfaction.

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TAS Recommends

To address the above challenges and support a more modern, efficient IRS service model, TAS recommends the IRS:

Recommendation 2-1

Increase Transparency on Information Technology (IT) Modernization Efforts: By the end of FY 2025, disclose to Congress and the public the scope, timeline, and anticipated benefits of IT modernization initiatives, particularly those related to enhanced online account functionality.

Recommendation 2-2

Expand Online Account Capabilities: Continue developing and deploying additional features and

functionalities within individual, tax professional, and business online accounts. This includes services

such as secure messaging, expanded transcript access, account updates, issue resolution, and digital

notices by the end of calendar year (CY) 2025.

Recommendation 2-3

Improve Identity Verification Processes: Analyze the root causes of identity verification failure during online account enrollment. Develop and implement targeted strategies to mitigate these issues and create a clear, accessible alternative for users to verify their identities following a failed attempt.

Recommendation 2-4

Increase Digital Service Offerings: Broaden the range of self-service tools available to individual and business taxpayers and tax professionals to engage in self-service assistance.

Quarterly Updates

No updates to report for the first quarter of FY 2026. Progress during this period was affected by the lapse in appropriations and operational impacts, including reduced staffing capacity, reassignment of work and priorities, and reevaluation of TAS’s approach to managing systemic advocacy objectives and associated initiatives. TAS is refining its plans, quarterly activities, and success measures and will resume providing updates in the second quarter, including reporting any outcomes achieved during the first quarter.

Status

Return to FY26 Objective Statuses