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Committee approves bill to give taxpayers an IRS 'dashboard' and better online access
Summary
H.R. 7971 would require the IRS to publish real‑time call‑center information, provide online return/refund status and enable document upload and payments; the Joint Committee said the bill has no revenue effect and the measures have staggered effective dates (2027–2029).
The committee voted to report H.R. 7971, the Taxpayer Experience Improvement Act, a bipartisan measure aimed at modernizing how taxpayers access IRS information and services.
Representative David Schweikert, a sponsor, described the bill as a "dashboard" and said it would let taxpayers "log on, see where your refund is in the process" and would encourage adoption of customer‑friendly technologies. The bill's technical description from Joint Committee staff explained three primary components: a public dashboard for IRS call‑center metrics (effective 12 months after enactment), improved web access to return and refund status (effective Jan. 1 of the first year more than 12 months after enactment) and a web‑enabled system for taxpayers to review returns, upload documents and make payments (effective Jan. 1 of the first year 18 months or more after enactment). Joint Committee staff estimated no revenue effect.
Members on both sides supported adding transparency and better online functionality. Representative Sewell, the ranking member on the oversight subcommittee, said the dashboard mandate would provide "much‑needed transparency" to help taxpayers understand refund delays and call wait times. The committee adopted the amendment in the nature of a substitute and reported H.R. 7971 favorably (43–0).
