(Sec. 2001 of the Bill)

Present Law

Treasury Regulations section 1.6012-5 provides that the Commissioner may authorize a taxpayer to elect to file a composite return in lieu of a paper return. An electronically filed return is a composite return consisting of electronically transmitted data and certain paper documents that cannot be electronically transmitted.

The IRS periodically publishes a list of the forms and schedules that may be electronically transmitted, as well as a list of forms, schedules, and other information that cannot be electronically filed.

During the 1997 tax filing season, the IRS received approximately 20 million individual income tax returns electronically.

Reasons for Change

The Committee believes that the implementation of a comprehensive strategy to encourage electronic filing of tax and information returns holds significant potential to benefit taxpayers and make the IRS returns processing function more efficient. For example, the error rate associated with processing paper tax returns is approximately 20 percent, half of which is attributable to the IRS and half to error in taxpayer data. Because electronically-filed returns usually are prepared using computer software programs with built-in accuracy checks, undergo pre-screening by the IRS, and experience no key punch errors, electronic returns have an error rate of less than one percent. Thus, the Committee believes that an expansion of electronic filing will significantly reduce errors (and the resulting notices that are triggered by such errors). In addition, taxpayers who file their returns electronically receive confirmation from the IRS that their return was received.

Explanation of Provision

The provision states that the policy of Congress is to promote paperless filing, with a long range goal of providing for the filing of at least 80 percent of all tax returns in electronic form by the year 2007. The provision requires the Secretary of the Treasury to establish a strategic plan to eliminate barriers, provide incentives, and use competitive market forces to increase taxpayer use of electronic filing. The provision requires all returns prepared in electronic form but filed in paper form to be filed electronically, to the extent feasible, by the year 2002.

The provision requires the Secretary to create an electronic commerce advisory group and to report annually to the tax-writing committees on the IRS's progress in implementing its plan to meet the goal of 80 percent electronic filing by 2007.

Effective Date

The provision is effective on the date of enactment.