CS-15-452 E-file Form 2290 Survey

Wave 1

(Prenote Letter)

Dear Taxpayer,

I need your help with an important initiative I am undertaking to improve our service to America’s taxpayers.

I want to get feedback from taxpayers like you who are required to file a Heavy Highway Vehicle Use Tax Return using Form 2290. You have been identified as a Form 2290 filer by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

In a few days, you will receive a survey asking a few questions about your heavy highway vehicle usage and how you submit your tax return. Answering these questions should take less than 5 minutes. Your answers will be combined with responses from other taxpayers to help us understand the reasons why you chose to submit your return on paper or electronically. We would like to know your experience with electronic filing, or the barriers that keep you from filing electronically so we can remove those barriers.

The primary purpose for requesting this information is to help the IRS improve its service to taxpayers. Our authority for requesting the information is 5 USC and 26 USC 7801.

Providing information is voluntary. However, if you do not answer all or part of the survey questions, the IRS may lack information it could use to improve taxpayer service. We are required to follow to the extent allowed by law protections required by the Privacy Act and/or Internal Revenue code section 6103.

I am committed to improving IRS service to every taxpayer. Please help me in this effort by completing and returning the survey as soon as possible. If you do not receive a survey within the next week, or if you have any questions, please contact us at 949-389-4395 or email Summer.M.Mastous@irs.gov.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

William P. Marshall

_{Director, Specialty Tax}

L1_14687

Dear Taxpayer,

A few days ago, you received a letter from William P. Marshall, Director, Specialty Tax, asking for your help with an important IRS research project.

We are administering a nationwide survey among people who are required to file a Heavy Highway Vehicle Use Tax Return using Form 2290. We want to understand the reasons why you chose to submit your Form 2290 on paper or electronically. Your responses are critical to the accuracy of this research.

We will hold your identity anonymous. Your answers will be grouped with others, so that no individual reply can be traced back to a specific person or case number.

This brief survey should take less than 5 minutes to complete. We have included a postage-paid reply envelope for you to return your completed survey. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us at 949-389-4395 or email Summer.M.Mastous@irs.gov.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

William P. Marshall

_{Director, Specialty Tax}

L2_14687

E-File Survey Questions

OMB# 1545-1432

1. How long have you been driving a truck or truck tractor? (Check the circle that applies)

Less than 1 year 2 to 5 years

6 to 10 years More than 10 years

2. Are you an independent operator?

Yes

No

3. How many employees do you have? (Please check the circle that applies)

None Less than 5 5 to 10

11 to 25 More than 25

4. What type of hauling do you do?

Interstate

Intrastate

5. How did you prepare and file your most recent Form 2290 Heavy Highway Vehicle Use Tax Return?

Used a paid preparer and it was mailed to the IRS Used a paid preparer and it was dropped off in person at an IRS office Used a paid preparer and it was dropped off in person at a Motor Vehicle Registration Office Used a paid preparer but I don’t know how he/she filed

Prepared it myself and mailed it to the IRS Prepared it myself and dropped it off in person at an IRS office Prepared it myself and dropped it off at a Motor Vehicle Registration Office

6. If you used a paid preparer, did they offer you the option to file electronically (e-file)?

Yes

No

7. Do you know about how much it costs to e-file Form 2290?

No Yes, I know at least one service’s price

Yes, I have compared the prices for different services

8. Have you ever visited the www.irs.gov/trucker website?

Yes

No

9. What are the main reasons you file Form 2290 on paper rather than e-file (Please check all that apply)

Filing a paper return is easier than filing electronically I have computer or internet access issues It costs too much to e-file

I didn’t know I could file e-file I don’t understand the e-file process I do not want to send my tax data via the Internet to a filing service because I have security concerns about electronically transmitting my private information Other (Please list below):

10. Did the IRS contact you after you filed your paper Form 2290?

Yes

No

(If you responded “yes” to question 10 then go to question 11. Otherwise skip question 11 and go to question 12.)

11. Why were you contacted? (Please check all that apply)

My return had incomplete or incorrect information I had not paid the full amount of tax due The payment I sent in had not been applied to my Form 2290

The IRS charged me additional penalties and/or Interest Other (Please list below):

12. Have you ever e-filed any IRS tax returns? (Please check all that apply)

Yes, I have e-filed Form 2290 before Yes, I have e-filed other types of business tax returns

Yes, I have e-filed my personal income tax return No, I have never e-filed any tax returns

13. Did you change from e-filing to paper filing of your Form 2290? And if “yes” tell us

why. (Please check all that apply)

No Yes, because e-filing was too costly Yes, because I don’t have access to the Internet anymore Yes, because I changed my paid preparer and he/she only files by mail

Yes, because I didn’t feel comfortable with a tax filing service having my tax data or sending my tax data via the Internet Yes, because the tax paying procedure was complicated Other (Please list below):

14. On a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being very dissatisfied and 5 very satisfied, how satisfied are you with filing your return on paper?

1 Very dissatisfied 2 Dissatisfied 3 Not satisfied or dissatisfied

4 Satisfied 5 Very satisfied

15. In your opinion, would e-filing make it easier for you to obtain your Form 2290 Schedule 1 and register your vehicle?

Yes No

I don’t know

16. On a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being the least probable and 5 the most probable, how likely are you to change from paper filing to e-filing next time you file Form 2290?

1 Very unlikely 2 Unlikely 3 Neutral

4 Likely 5 Very likely

The Paperwork Reduction Act requires that the IRS display an OMB control number on all public information requests. The OMB Control Number for this study is 1545-1432. Also, if you have any comments regarding the time estimates associated with this study or suggestions on making this process simpler, please write to the, Internal Revenue Service, Tax Products Coordinating Committee, SE:W:CAR:MP:T:T:SP, 1111 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20224.

RETURN ADDRESS

INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE

SE:S:FR&S:LN PAC  MS/5350

24000 AVILA ROAD

LAGUNA NIGUEL, CA 92677-9608

**************************************************************************************************************************

Do We Have Your Input Yet?

Recently, you received a survey asking questions about your Heavy Highway

Vehicle Use Tax Return using Form 2290. If you have already completed

and returned the survey, please accept our sincere thanks. If not, please take a

few minutes to complete and return it today. We want to be sure we have your

opinions and suggestions for improving the IRS’s service to the public.

If you have not responded to the survey, we will be sending one more

copy of the survey in case you did not receive the first one or it has been

misplaced. If you have any questions or concerns about this survey, please

contact us at 949-389-4395 or email Summer.M.Mastous@irs.gov

William P. Marshall

_{Director, Specialty Tax}

L3_14687

Dear Taxpayer,

Recently you received a letter requesting your feedback about your Heavy Highway Vehicle usage. So far, we have not received your completed survey. If you have already completed and returned the survey questions, thank you. If you have not completed the survey, please take a few minutes to fill in your responses.

As described in our previous communication, we are administering a nationwide survey among people who are required to file a Heavy Highway Vehicle Use Tax Return using Form 2290. Your name was selected for this survey through a random sample of Form 2290 filers. We want to understand the reasons why you chose to submit your Heavy Highway Vehicle Use Tax Return on paper or electronically. Your responses are critical to the accurate evaluation of the IRS’s service.

We will hold your identity anonymous. Your answers will be grouped with others, so that no individual reply can be traced back to a specific person. Your participation if voluntary.

The survey should take less than 5 minutes to complete. We have included a postage-paid reply envelope for you to return your completed survey. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us at

949-389-4395 or email Summer.M.Mastous@irs.gov.

The IRS is committed to improving its performance and service to the American public. Your honest opinions will help bring about this improvement.

Thank you in advance for your participation.

Sincerely,

William P. Marshall

_{Director, Specialty Tax}

L4_14687