IRS Mails Data on New Tax Code

The Internal Revenue Service started mailing 90 million flyers to taxpayers on Tuesday, advising them about the new tax code and encouraging them to start preparing to file next year’s return early.

The green-and-white flyer, titled “Why You Should Start Thinking About Your Taxes Earlier Than Ever Before,” highlights some prominent changes in the tax law and includes a form that taxpayers can send in for a more detailed 55-page booklet.

The mass mailing, the largest ever undertaken by the IRS, was spurred by sweeping changes brought about by the Tax Reform Act of 1986, said Ed Pecorella, assistant commissioner in charge of taxpayer service.

“Traditionally people associate taxes with the spring,” Pecorella said. “But this year, we’re doing everything we can to push taxpayer awareness back two seasons to the fall.”

The mailing will cost the agency $7.6 million, but the government should come out ahead if people make fewer mistakes on their returns as a result, he said.

For example, one change highlighted in the flyer requires parents to list a Social Security number for all dependents age 5 or older.

Without the flyer, the IRS could expect 5 million returns with the dependents’ Social Security numbers missing, requiring the government to send responses and then handle a deluge of phone calls from taxpayers, Pecorella said.