The Internal Revenue Service is trying to stay current by utilizing social media. The reason: to inculcate improved customer service and to aid in increased tax compliance.
Taxpayers can tap into these messages and act proactively to save taxes now or down the road. In addition, taxpayers can educate themselves and be better partners with their tax attorneys and professional tax preparers.
The IRS does not typically use social media tools to answer specific taxpayer questions. They also caution all users of their social media against posting personal account questions as well as Social Security numbers, in addition to other confidential information.
So, what are these IRS social media tools?
- Facebook. Just like your second cousin and your favorite coffee shop, the IRS has a Facebook presence. There are actually two Facebook pages: the IRS page which is pretty sparse, but it does contain information about tax scams and the Affordable Care Act. More useful actually is the Facebook page dedicated to tax professionals: https://www.facebook.com/IRStaxpros. This page has all sorts of postings on webinars and new tools. Non-professionals should not delude themselves into thinking that they can utilize the page to somehow become professionals, but the information is extremely useful.
- Twitter. The IRS tweets pretty regularly about tax tips, tax changes, and tax extensions. The major Twitter account is @IRSnews.
- Video lessons: If you prefer a short seminar-style lesson about the detailed tax laws, you have a couple of places to go. There is an IRS YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/irsvideos. Here you’ll find all sorts of videos of various lengths, including ones on tax scams, tracking your refund, and end of the year tax tips. There are also webinars that you can find on the IRS tax pro Facebook page, but these are only accessible for professional tax preparers and attorneys.
- IRS2Go is a free app and is the only one that has personal and confidential content. You can utilize it to check on your refund status as well as follow the IRS Twitter feeds. Information on IRS2Go can be found here: http://www.irs.gov/uac/New-IRS2Go-Offers-Three-More-Features
It is important to consult with your tax attorney regarding all aspects of your personal and business tax matters.
