Policies

ACTR is a proponent of establishing both taxpayer service standards and a timely and effective way to deal with identified suspicious return preparers. For many consumers, their tax refund or payment is the most significant financial transaction of the year. Unfortunately, with no minimum taxpayer service standards to become a tax preparer, and no timely…

Voluntary compliance empowers Americans to determine and file their own income tax returns and to declare what they believe they owe the federal or state governments. In the United States, the citizen initiates the process of taxation, not the government. Only if the IRS or state revenue department tax collectors disagree with an individual’s return…

ACTR companies recognize that income tax returns contain taxpayers’ personal and most sensitive financial information, and our members are absolutely committed to protecting and respecting taxpayers’ privacy. The protections for taxpayers that are required by federal statute and regulation are public policies that ACTR member companies must comply with on every tax return each year,…

Every year, ACTR member companies collectively invest tens of millions of dollars in developing and implementing the most up-to-date technologies and innovations – from software, lo artificial intelligence (Al), to innovative identity and privacy protections – to meet taxpayers’ needs where, when and how they wish to be served. ACTR members believe that free-market competition…

ACTR members believe that taxpayers know their own circumstances and needs best, and we try to provide a variety of services and products that fit those circumstances and needs. For example, millions of taxpayers do not have an established banking relationship, and thus a bank product such as a refund transfer (where a temporary bank…

ACTR is a proponent of public-private partnerships between government and industry, including the IRS Security Summit and the IRS Free File Program. The Security Summit was first convened by the IRS in 2015 to combat and prevent the crime of identity theft tax refund fraud. ACTR proactively engaged with the IRS to devise and implement…

ACTR members believe that taxpayers must be provided the information they need to make the financial decisions that are best for themselves and their families. Accordingly, ACTR members support efforts to enhance transparency in fees charged. Por example, ACTR members proactively devised consensus best practices on refund transfers and then entered into a joint statement…

ACTR does not support legislative or administrative efforts to direct the IRS to break from its well-understood and accepted role of reviewing the taxpayer’s voluntarily created return. There have been legislative efforts that would require the IRS or state departments of revenue to send the taxpayer a “bill” based on the government’s calculations of the…

Voluntary compliance empowers Americans to determine and file their own income tax returns and to declare what they believe they owe the federal or state governments. In the United States, the citizen initiates the process of taxation, not the government. Only if the IRS or state revenue department tax collectors disagree with an individual’s return…

For many American taxpayers, their federal tax refund is the largest single financial transaction they will have during the calendar year. These taxpayers rely on their refund to meet their financial obligations, such as paying off bills, covering medical expenses, paying rent or meeting other day-to-day responsibilities. Accordingly, these taxpayers often file their taxes early…