October 08, 1997
Telefile Wins Innovations in American Government Award
WASHINGTON - TeleFile, the Internal Revenue Service's file-
by-phone program, today received a $100,000 Innovations in
American Government Award from the Ford Foundation. TeleFile was
one of ten programs recognized as setting a standard of
excellence in government. The award will be used to further
inform the public about the availability and advantages of this
tax filing option.
"Our dedicated employees have made TeleFile a winner for our
customers, and we're pleased that it's been chosen as a winning
Innovation in American Government," said Acting IRS Commissioner
Michael P. Dolan. "With this recognition, we expect millions
more will use TeleFile to make their tax filing as easy as a
phone call."
TeleFile lets people with simple returns complete their
filing with a 10-minute phone call. This paperless system even
allows taxpayers to have refunds deposited directly to their bank
accounts. TeleFile is available 24 hours a day, seven days a
week, starting in early January. Last year, nearly 4.7 million
taxpayers used TeleFile. Since first testing TeleFile in 1992,
the IRS has received over 9 million returns by phone.
The IRS is now testing the use of TeleFile for employment
tax returns from small businesses in the Southeast and expects to
expand this nationwide in 1998.
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