CS-15-455 Employment Tax E-file Employer 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 employers like you who are required to file an employment tax return using Forms 940, 941, 943, 944 or 945. You have been identified as an employment tax filer by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

In a few days, you will receive a survey asking a few questions about your experiences and perceptions regarding e-filing your employment tax return. Answering these questions should take less than 5 minutes. Your answers will be combined with responses from other employers 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 the service that IRS provides 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 xxx-xxx-xxxx or email XXXXXX@irs.gov.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

Robert L. Hunt

Director, Operations Support

L1_XXXXX

Dear Taxpayer:

A few days ago, you received a letter from me asking for your help with an important IRS research project.

We are administering a nationwide survey among employers who are required to file an employment tax return using Forms 940, 941, 943, 944 or 945. We want to understand the reasons why you chose to submit your return 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 xxx-xxx-xxxx or email XXXXXXXX@irs.gov.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

Robert L. Hunt

Director, Operations Support

L2_XXXXX

Employment Tax E-File Survey for Employers OMB# 1545-1432

1. Is your business required to file federal employment tax returns?

• Yes

• No (Please skip to the comments and suggestions space at the end of the survey. Thank you.)

2. How many full and part-time employees does your business have?

• 1-4

• 5-24

• 25-49

• 50 or more

3. How long has your business had employees?

• Less than 2 years

• 2-5 years

• 5 or more years

4. How do you usually prepare and file your employment tax return?

• I hire a tax professional to prepare the return, and then I file it.

• I hire a tax professional to prepare the return and file it for me.

• I use commercial tax software, and then e- file through the software company.

• I use commercial tax software, and then I print the return and file it.

• I prepare the return without commercial tax software, and then I file it on paper.

• Other (please describe) _______________________________________

5. If your employment tax return is not e-filed, what are the main reasons why not? (mark all that apply)

• My tax preparer doesn’t ask me about e-filing.

• It is difficult to sign the return electronically.

• My tax data might not be secure if I e-file.

• I don’t like going through a non-IRS website to e-file.

• There are too many ways that e-filing can go wrong.

• There are too many steps in the e-filing process.

• It costs too much to e-file.

• Other (please describe)__________________________________________________________

6. Are any of your other tax returns e-filed, either by you or your tax professional? (mark all that apply)

• I am not sure. My tax professional doesn’t ask me if I want my returns e-filed.

• No, none of my tax returns are e-filed.

• Yes, my business’s federal income reporting documents, such as W-2s and 1099s, are e-filed.

• Yes, my other federal business returns are e-filed.

• Yes, my federal personal income taxes are e-filed.

• Yes, some of my state tax returns are e-filed.

• Yes, other kinds of returns are e-filed. (please describe)_________________________________

7. How do you usually make deposits and payments of employment taxes?

• I hire a payroll services company or other tax professional to take care of it.

• I write a check and mail it or drop it off at an IRS office.

• I set up a direct debit through my bank.

• I use the IRS Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS).

• Other (please describe)___________________________________________________________

8. How do you prefer to get general information about employment taxes (mark all that apply)

• From IRS printed publications

• From IRS mass mailing

• From an IRS walk-in help-desk

• From the IRS telephone help-line

• From the IRS website

• From a tax professional

• From business or industry associations

• From other business owners I know

• Other (please describe)___________________________________________________________

9. How do you prefer the IRS contact you about your employment tax returns and payments? (mark all that apply)

• By mail

• By phone

• By e-mail

• Through my tax professional

10. What can the IRS do to make employment tax e-filing more attractive to you as a business owner? (mark all that apply)

• Make it free.

• Make it available through the IRS website.

• Make signing up for it simpler and quicker.

• Make the instructions clearer.

• Other (please explain) __________

Please use this space for any additional comments or suggestions on improving employment tax e-filing.

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

SE S FR&S LN PAC  MS 5350

INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE

24000 AVILA ROAD

LAGUNA NIGUEL, CA 92677-9608

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

Do We Have Your Input Yet?

Recently, you received a survey asking questions about your employment

tax return. 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 xxx-xxx-xxxx or email XXXXXXX@irs.gov

Robert L. Hunt

Director, Operations Support

L3_XXXXX

Dear Taxpayer:

Recently you received a letter requesting your feedback about your employment tax return. 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 employers who are required to file an employment tax return using Forms 940, 941, 943, 944 or 945. Your name was selected for this survey through a random sample of employment tax filers. We want to understand the reasons why you chose to submit your 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 is 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

xxx-xxx-xxxx or email XXXXX@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,

Robert L. Hunt

Director, Operations Support

L4_XXXXX