CS-09-143 - SB/SE FIELD EXAMINATION TAX CUSTOMERS; CS-09-144 -Survey for External Customers of Media and Publications Division

Field Examination Survey

IRS SMALL BUSINESS/SELF-EMPLOYED

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION SURVEY

EXAMINATION

The IRS is trying to improve its service to the public. You can help in this important mission by answering the questions below. This voluntary survey should take less than 5 minutes to complete. Your responses will be kept anonymous to the IRS. If you have any questions about this survey, you may contact the survey processing center at (888) 260-0052.

	The questions that follow ask your opinion regarding how the IRS handled your most recent examination. For each question, regardless of whether you agree or disagree with the final outcome, please indicate your opinion by choosing a number from 1 to 5, where 1 means “Very Dissatisfied” and 5 means “Very Satisfied.”
			Very Dissatisfied 1 	2 	3 	4 	Very Satisfied 5 	Don’t Know/Not Applicable 
	a.	Explanation of why you were being examined . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .						
	b.	Explanation of the exam process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .						
	c.	Ease of understanding the notice regarding your initial appointment . . . . . . .						
	d.	Time given you to provide requested information to the IRS . . . . . . . . . . . . . .						
	e.	Time the IRS took to respond to you . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .						
	f.	Flexibility of auditor in scheduling meetings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .						
	g.	Reasonableness of the information you were asked to provide . . . . . . . . . . .						
	h.	Explanation of why records were required after initial appointment . . . . . . . .						
	i.	Business knowledge of your auditor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .						
	j.	Tax knowledge of your auditor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .						
	k.	Courtesy of your auditor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .						
	l.	Consideration given to the information you submitted . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .						
	m.	Length of the exam process from start to finish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .						
	n.	Amount of time you had to spend on the examination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .						
	o.	Understanding that you have payment options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .						
	p.	Explanation of why adjustments were made. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .						
	q.	Fairness of treatment by the IRS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .						
	Regardless of whether you agree or disagree with the final outcome, how would you rate your overall satisfaction with the way your examination was handled? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		Very Dissatisfied 1  	2  	3  	4  	Very Satisfied 5  	Don’t Know/Not Applicable  
	Are you . . . ?
		The taxpayer
		A tax professional who represented the taxpayer
		Someone else who represented the taxpayer

		If you have been unable to resolve any specific problems with your tax matter through the normal IRS channels, or now face a significant hardship due to the application of the tax law, we encourage you to contact the Taxpayer Advocate Service at (877) 777-4778.
		Use this space for comments, or suggestions for improvement.

Paperwork Reduction Act Notice

The Paperwork Reduction Act requires that the IRS display an OMB control number on all public information requests. The OMB Control Number for this study is 1545-1432. Also, if you have any comments regarding the time estimates associated with this study or suggestions on making this process simpler, please write to: Internal Revenue Service, Tax Products Coordinating Committee, SE:W:CAR:MP:T:T:SP, 1111 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20224.

Thank you for completing the survey.

Please return this questionnaire by mail using the enclosed business return envelope.

Field Examination Survey

Pre-Notification Letter

[IRS Logo] [IRS Department Letterhead]

[Date]

JOHN Q & MARY Q SAMPLE

SAMPLE ADDRESS 1

ANY TOWN, US 12345-6789

Dear JOHN Q & MARY Q SAMPLE:

I need your help with an important initiative I am undertaking to improve our service to America’s taxpayers.

In a few days, you will receive a survey asking your opinions about the service you received from the IRS in a recent audit of a tax return. If you are not the person who had the most contact with the IRS on this matter, please direct the survey to the person who did.

This brief survey should take less than 5 minutes to complete. Macro International, an independent research firm, will provide your responses anonymously to the IRS. Macro International will not provide any of your identifying information to the IRS and will provide your responses to the IRS in aggregate totals only.

The IRS is committed to improving service to every customer. Please help us in this effort by completing and returning the survey as soon as possible. If you do not receive a survey, please contact Macro International at 1-888-260-0052.

Sincerely,

Monica L. Baker

Director, Examination Division

Field Examination Survey

Cover Letter (1)

Macro International/ScanTron

IRS Customer Survey

P.O. Box 64529

St. Paul, MN 55164-9614

[DATE]

JOHN Q & MARY Q SAMPLE

SAMPLE ADDRESS 1

ANYTOWN, US 12345-6789

Dear JOHN Q & MARY Q SAMPLE:

A few days ago you received a letter from Monica L. Baker, Director, Examination Division, asking for your help with an important research project. The IRS is committed to improving its performance and service to the American public. As part of this process, we are administering a nationwide survey to obtain feedback from a sample of individuals who had a recent audit of a tax return.

Your name was selected for this survey through a random sample of those who were audited. We want to know your opinions regarding the audit process and the service you received. Your responses are critical to the accuracy of our evaluation of the IRS’s service. If another person was primarily responsible for dealing with the IRS on this matter, please direct the survey to that person and encourage him or her to respond.

Macro International will hold your identity anonymous and will not provide any of your identifying information to the IRS. Your answers will be grouped with others, so that no individual reply can betrayed back to a person or case number.

This brief survey should take less than 5 minutes to complete. We have included a postage-paid reply envelope for you to return your completed survey. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Macro International at 1-888-260-0052.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

Larry A. Luskin

Project Director

Macro International Inc.

Field Examination Survey

Reminder Postcard

Do We Have Your Input Yet?

Recently, you received a survey asking your opinions about the service you received in a recent interaction with the IRS. If you have already completed and returned the survey, please accept our sincere thanks. If not, please take a few minutes to complete and return it today. We want to be sure we have your opinions and suggestions for improving the IRS’s service to the public.

If you did not receive the survey, or it has been misplaced, please contact us at 1-888-260-0052.

Larry A. Luskin

Project Director

Macro International Inc.

Macro International/ScanTron

IRS Customer Survey

P.O. Box 64529

St. Paul, MN 55164-9614

Field Examination Survey

Cover Letter (2)

Macro International/ScanTron

IRS Customer Survey

P.O. Box 64529

St. Paul, MN 55164-9614

[DATE]

JOHN Q & MARY Q SAMPLE

SAMPLE ADDRESS 1

ANYTOWN, US 12345-6789

Dear JOHN Q & MARY Q SAMPLE:

Recently you received a survey requesting your feedback about your experiences during a recent IRS audit. So far, we have not received your completed survey. If you have not already completed the survey, please take a few minutes to fill in your responses. If another person was primarily responsible for dealing with the IRS on this matter, please direct the survey to that person and encourage him or her to respond.

As described in our previous communication, we are administering a nationwide survey among people who had a recent IRS audit of a tax return. Your name was selected for this survey through a random sample of those who were audited. We want to know your opinions regarding the audit process and the service you received. Your responses are critical to the accuracy of our evaluation of the IRS’sservice.

Macro International will hold your identity anonymous and will not provide any of your identifying information to the IRS. Your answers will be grouped with others, so that no individual reply can be traced back to a person or case number.

The survey should take less than 5 minutes to complete. We have included a postage-paid reply envelope for you to return your completed survey. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Macro International at 1-888-260-0052.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation. The IRS is committed to improving its performance and service to the American public. A vital step in this process is to gather reliable information from those who have had contact with IRS employees and services. Your honest opinions will help bring about these changes.

Sincerely,

Larry A. Luskin

Project Director

Macro International Inc.