Cs-09-157, Cs-09-159, Cs-09-161, Cs-09-162, Cs-09-163, Cs-09-164, Cs-09-165, Cs-09-166, Cs-09-167

TAC Customer Expectations Survey OMB # xxxxxxx

Expectations Survey for Local IRS Office

The overall goal of this research is to help the IRS provide better service to the public. You can help the IRS improve its service to you and other taxpayers by answering the questions below. This voluntary survey takes about 10 minutes to complete. Your responses will be kept confidential.

1. In the past two years, about how many times have you visited a local IRS office such as this one (including today’s visit)?

 This is my first visit to a local IRS office.

 My last visit to an IRS office was more than two years ago.

 2 – 3 times

 4 – 5 times

 More than 6 times

 Don’t Know

2. Why are you visiting the local IRS office today? Please mark your main issue in column A and any other issues in column B.

	Column A Main Issue (Mark only one.)	Column B Other Issues (Mark all that apply.)
Tax Issues
Get tax forms or publications		
Make a payment		
Set up a payment plan		
Have a tax return prepared		
Resolve an IRS notice or letter		
Get a copy of a prior year return		
Get an answer to a tax law question (not including notice you received)		
Find out about a tax refund		
Get a lien or levy released		
Drop off a completed tax return		
Apply for Individual or Employer Tax ID (W-7/ITIN, EIN)		
Other (please specify): ______________________________		

3. How did you learn about local IRS offices, like this one? (Mark all that apply.)

 IRS telephone representative

 IRS web site

 Other IRS representative

 Tax preparation company (e.g., H&R Block, Jackson-Hewitt)

 Accountant / tax professional

 Volunteer tax preparation clinic

 Friend, family member, co-worker

 Saw the office

 Telephone book

 Other (please specify): ___________________________________

4. About how long did it take you to travel to this local IRS?

 0 – 15 minutes

 16 – 30 minutes

 31 – 45 minutes

 46 – 60 minutes

 More than 1 hour

5. From where did you travel to this local IRS office?

 Home

 Work

 School

 Personal errands

 Other (please specify):

____________________________________

6. About how long are you willing to travel to a local IRS office?

 0 – 15 minutes

 16 – 30 minutes

 31 – 45 minutes

 46 – 60 minutes

 More than 1 hour

7. When visiting a local IRS office, how important are the following aspects of the visit? Please mark the appropriate box on the scale (where 5 means “Very Important” and 1 means “Not Important”).

Very Important Not Important

5 4 3 2 1

    

Aspects of Visit ____________________________________________

Convenient location     

Short wait time     

Ability to get issue resolved today     

Available parking     

Open hours fit my schedule     

Easy to locate the office     

Getting bilingual assistance     

Professionalism and courtesy of staff     

Building conditions     

8. How much do you agree with the following statements? Please mark the appropriate box on the scale (where 5 means “Strongly Agree” and 1 means “Strongly Disagree”).

Strongly Strongly

Agree Disagree

5 4 3 2 1

    

Statements ______________________________

Service should be provided on a first come, first served basis.     

I want the ability to schedule an appointment to speak with

a representative.     

Certain issues/tasks should have an express lane.     

Which issues/tasks (please specify):_______________________________________________

9. Do you expect to resolve your main issue during today’s visit?

 Yes

 No

 Don’t know

10. About how long do you think you will wait before meeting with an IRS representative to discuss your issue(s)?

 Immediately (no wait)

 1 to 5 minutes

 6 to 10 minutes

 11 to 20 minutes

 21 to 30 minutes

 More than 30 minutes

11. About how long are you willing to wait before meeting with an IRS representative to discuss your main issue?

 Immediately (no wait)

 1 to 5 minutes

 6 to 10 minutes

 11 to 20 minutes

 21 to 30 minutes

 More than 30 minutes

12. After you start talking to an IRS representative, about how long do you think it will take to complete your main issue?

 Less than 5 minutes

 5 to 10 minutes

 11 to 20 minutes

 21 to 30 minutes

 More than 30 minutes

13. What information, products, and/or services do you think should be available at the local IRS office? (Mark all that apply.)

 Resolving an IRS notice or letter

 Having a tax return prepared

 Making a payment

 Setting up a payment plan

 Getting a copy of a prior year return/account transcript

 Getting a lien or levy released

 Getting tax forms and publications

 Getting an answer to a tax law question

 Getting information on debt cancellation

 Getting information on estates and trusts

 Getting answers to depreciation questions

 Getting assistance with Schedule C (Profit or Loss from Business)

 Getting assistance with Schedule D (Capital Gains and Losses)

 Getting assistance with Schedule E (Rental Property)

 Getting assistance with Schedule F (Profit or Loss from Farming)

 Getting reporting tips

 Other (please specify): _________________________________

14. Thinking about your main reason for visiting today, how likely would you be to use a computer at a local IRS office to complete your business instead of talking to a representative in-person?

 Very likely

 Somewhat likely

 Somewhat Unlikely

 Very Unlikely

 Don’t Know

Demographics

15. What is the zip code where you currently live? (Please write your five digit zip code below.)

_________________

16. What category describes your current age?

 24 years or under

 25 to 34 years

 35 to 44 years

 45 to 54 years

 55 to 64 years

 65 years or over

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­17. What is the highest level of education you have completed?

 Less than 9^th grade

 9^th grade to 12^th grade, no diploma

 High school graduate/GED

 Some technical/vocational school

 Technical or vocational school graduate / Associate’s Degree

 Some college, no degree

 Bachelor’s Degree

 Post-Graduate Degree

18. What category best describes your household income from all sources, before taxes, for 2008?

 Less than $15,000

 $15,001 to $25,000

 $25,001 to $35,000

 $35,001 to $45,000

 $45,001 to $55,000

 $55,001 to $70,000

 $70,001 or over

19. What is your primary language?

 English

 Spanish

 Chinese

 Vietnamese

 Korean

 Russian

 Other (please specify): _________________________________

20. When going to a local IRS office, you have certain expectations about the visit. Please name the three (3) expectations that are the most important to you.

1. ___________________________________________________________________

2. ___________________________________________________________________

3. ___________________________________________________________________

Post-Service Survey Questions – Answer After Completing Business

21. Were your expectations for the following aspects of a visit to a local IRS office met during today’s visit? Please mark the appropriate box on the scale where 5 means “Much Better Than Expected” and 1 means “Much Worse Than Expected”.

Much Better Just as Much Worse

Than Expected Expected Than Expected

5 4 3 2 1

    

Aspects of Visit ________________________________________

Convenient location     

Short wait time     

Ability to get issue resolved today     

Available parking     

Open hours fit my schedule     

Easy to locate the office     

Getting bilingual assistance     

Professionalism and courtesy of staff     

Building conditions     

Overall, were your expectations for the visit met?     

22. About how long did you actually wait before meeting with an IRS representative today?

 Immediately (no wait)

 1 to 5 minutes

 6 to 10 minutes

 11 to 20 minutes

 21 to 30 minutes

 More than 30 minutes

23. After you started talking to an IRS representative, about how long did it actually take to complete your main issue?

 Less than 5 minutes

 5 to 10 minutes

 11 to 20 minutes

 21 to 30 minutes

 More than 30 minutes

24. Was your main issue resolved today?

 Yes

 No

25. Thinking about your visit to the local IRS office today, did you have any expectations that were not met?

1. ___________________________________________________________________

2. ___________________________________________________________________

3. ___________________________________________________________________

26. How can the IRS improve the service provided at local IRS offices such as this one?

1. ___________________________________________________________________

2. ___________________________________________________________________

3. ___________________________________________________________________

Thank you for completing this survey.

Please return the questionnaire to the survey administration table located near the entrance of this local IRS office.

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. 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 Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20224.

Privacy Statement

The authority requesting the information is 5 USC 301. The primary purpose of asking for the information is to determine steps IRS can take to improve our service to you. The information may be disclosed as authorized by the routine uses published for the Privacy Act System of Records entitled, Treas/IRS 00.001 Correspondence Files, including Stakeholder Partnership File, and Correspondence Control Files, as published in the Federal Register: December 10, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 237)] [Notices] pages 63785-6.  Providing the information is voluntary. Not answering some or all of the questions will not affect you.

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