IRS Taxpayer Burden Surveys

The IRS’ Tax Year 2017 Individual Taxpayer Burden (ITB) Survey began on July 13. The 20,000 recipients for this survey were selected from individual taxpayers who filed, or will have filed, a tax year 2017 federal income tax return by December 31, 2018.

Recipients will receive an IRS letter explaining the purpose of the survey and inviting them to participate. The survey packet should arrive one to two weeks after the IRS letter. Respondents may return the completed survey in the postage-paid return envelope, complete the survey on the web using the instructions in the survey booklet, or request to complete the survey over the phone. Non-respondents will receive up to four additional mailings (postcard, survey packet, postcard, survey packet). Other surveys in the series of 12 include:

• TY2017 Foreign Accounts Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) Special Study
• TY2017 Trust and Estate Income Tax (TEIT) Burden Survey
• TY2017 Employment Tax Burden (ETB) Survey
• TY2017 Information Return Burden (IRBS) Survey

These are legitimate surveys conducted on behalf of the IRS by Westat, and participation is voluntary. The information gleaned from the surveys is used to help the IRS better understand and reduce taxpayer burden. Taxpayers can also request to be removed from the contact list if they don’t want to receive reminder mailings.