CS-13-393 Indian Tribal Government Survey

OMB Control# 1545-1432

Indian Tribal Governments Customer Satisfaction Survey
The Office of Indian Tribal Governments (ITG) within the IRS is asking for your input to help us evaluate how well we are serving your
needs. Your responses will help us identify the areas where we can improve our products/services. No identifying information is
required, and your response will be kept anonymous. This survey is voluntary. We estimate it will take you 10 minutes to complete the
survey. Thank you for your input.
Please read each question carefully, and then mark the appropriate box from the scale (where 1 means “Strongly Agree” and
5 means “Strongly Disagree”) to show how much you agree or disagree with each statement.
The first eight questions will consider how ITG reduces TAXPAYER BURDEN and
controls DELIVERY OF INFORMATION to the Tribes.
.

Strongly
Agree
1

Agree
2

Neutral
3

Disagree
4

Strongly
Disagree
5

Don’t
Know/Not
Applicable

Strongly
Agree
1

Agree
2

Neutral
3

Disagree
4

Strongly
Disagree
5

Don’t
Know/Not
Applicable

Strongly
Agree
1

Agree
2

Neutral
3

Disagree
4

Strongly
Disagree
5

Don’t
Know/Not
Applicable

Strongly
Agree
1

Agree
2

Neutral
3

Disagree
4

Strongly
Disagree
5

Don’t
Know/Not
Applicable

Strongly
Agree
1

Agree
2

Neutral
3

Disagree
4

Strongly
Disagree
5

Don’t
Know/Not
Applicable

YES
T

NO
T

1. It is hard to call and reach the Tribe's assigned Specialist.
2. The Tribe rarely needs to talk to more than one employee to get an answer to a question.
3. It is easy to access the IRS internet site.
4. It is hard to get tax information by calling the ITG Specialist.
5. Forms, Publications & other written materials are available on the IRS internet site.
6. ITG has specific tax publications that meet tribal information needs.
7. Specialist(s) provide explanations the Tribe can understand.
8. The IRS internet site is not user friendly.

The following four questions look at the COLLABORATION between ITG and the Tribe.
9. The Office of ITG does not assist the Tribe in avoiding penalties.
10. The Office of ITG explains how tax law changes affect the Tribe.
11. The Office of ITG works with the Tribe to help resolve any tax issues.
12. Assistance given by the Office of ITG interferes with Tribal sovereignty.
The following four questions measure how ITG manages the RECOGNITION OF
GOVERNMENT-TO-GOVERNMENT RELATIONSHIP.
13. The Office of ITG seeks to build a respectful relationship.
14. The Office of ITG wants to work with the Tribe to administer the tax law.
15. The Office of ITG does not clarify tax issues that are unique to the Tribe.
16. The Office of ITG helps the Tribe comply with the tax law.
The following five questions will consider the HORIZONTAL EQUITY and PROTOCOL of
the services provided by ITG.
17. The Office of ITG is respectful of Tribal culture.
18. The Office of ITG is courteous in its contacts with the Tribe.
19. The Tribe will contact the Office of ITG when it has a problem and/or question.
20. The Office of ITG works with the Tribe on a government-to-government basis.
21. ITG always explains the reason for their compliance contact.
The following five questions will measure the ACCURACY, TIMELINESS, and HONESTY
of the services provided by ITG.
22. The Office of ITG works with the Tribe to explain filing requirements.
23. The Office of ITG provides a timely response to the Tribe's questions.
24. The Office of ITG does not keep the Tribe informed of its actions to resolve an issue.
25. The Office of ITG fairly applies the tax law to the Tribe.
26. Overall, the Tribe is satisfied with the products and services provided by the Office of
ITG.
Please answer YES or NO to the following question:
27. Within the past year has your tribe had its books and/or records reviewed in a compliance
check or examination by ITG?

If you answered “Yes” to question 27, continue to question 28. If you answered “No”, proceed to Comments, question 42.

OMB Control# 1545-1432

The following questions ask your opinion regarding your most recent completed ITG examination or compliance check. For
each question, regardless of whether you agree or disagree with the final outcome, please mark the appropriate response.
OVERALL SATISFACTION

Strongly
Agree
1

Agree
2

Neutral
3

Disagree
4

Strongly
Disagree
5

Don’t
Know/Not
Applicable

Strongly
Agree
1

Agree
2

Neutral
3

Disagree
4

Strongly
Disagree
5

Don’t
Know/Not
Applicable

Strongly
Agree
1

Agree
2

Neutral
3

Disagree
4

Strongly
Disagree
5

Don’t
Know/Not
Applicable

Strongly
Agree
1

Agree
2

Neutral
3

Disagree
4

Strongly
Disagree
5

Don’t
Know/Not
Applicable

28. The Tribe was satisfied with the way ITG handled this case overall.
29. The Tribe was satisfied with the length of the examination process, from first notice
through resolution.
30. The Tribe was satisfied with the way ITG communicated with them throughout the
examination.
INITIAL MEETING For this section please respond based on your interaction with the
ITG Specialist at the initial meeting.
31. The ITG Specialist was courteous.
32. The ITG Specialist was knowledgeable.
33. The ITG Specialist clearly explained the Examination or Compliance Check process.
34. The ITG Specialist listened to the Tribe’s concerns.
SUBSEQUENT INTERACTIONS For this section please complete only if the ITG
Specialist asked you to provide additional information after the initial meeting.
35. The ITG Specialist considered the information provided previously by the Tribe (e.g.
during the initial meeting).
36. The ITG Specialist explained why additional information was needed.
37. The ITG Specialist adequately communicated about the status of the examination or
compliance check after the Tribe provided the requested information.
38. The ITG Specialist responded timely to the Tribe’s inquiries.
FINAL RESOLUTION
39. The Examination Report or Compliance Check Closing Letter clearly explained the
outcome, including the reason for any adjustments or recommendations.
40. The closing letter or closing conference addressed steps that could minimize future
problems.
41. The method of the Examination of Compliance Check (correspondence, telephone, or in
person interview) was conducive to the timely and accurate completion of the task.
COMMENTS
Please add any comments you wish to make, including examples/ideas of how ITG could better assist you:
42.

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 the Internal Revenue Service, Tax Products Coordinating Committee,
SE:W:CAR:MP:T:T:SP, 1111 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20224.

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE
Office of Indian Tribal Governments
55 North Robinson
S:T:GE:ITG:7271
Oklahoma City, OK 73102-9226
TAX EXEMPT AND
GOVERNMENT ENTITIES DIVISION

April 15, 2010

Dear
The Office of Indian Tribal Governments was established to help Indian tribes address their federal
tax matters. During the planning and creation of this office, we received valuable input from Indian
tribal governments and tribal associations so we would be better able to understand and meet your
specialized needs. The overall goal of this office is to use partnership opportunities with Indian tribal
governments to respectfully and cooperatively meet the needs of both the tribal governments and
the federal government and to simplify the tax administration process.
What are we asking you to do? Complete a survey.
As part of an ongoing process, we are asking each tribe to complete the attached survey. We
would like your responses to be based on experiences your tribe has had with the Office of Indian
Tribal Governments within the past year. We have identified you as the recipient of the survey for
your tribe, but ask that you include input from all those who have involvement in federal tax issues
and/or have interacted with our office. This would most likely include financial officers, tribal
administrators and accountants, payroll officials, casino managers, and similar positions. While
several individuals may provide input, only one survey form should be completed. All responses will
remain anonymous.
Response deadline: June 30, 2013
Please mail us the completed survey by the above response date. A self-addressed stamped
envelope is enclosed for your convenience. The survey results will post to our web site at
www.irs.gov/tribes along with a list of opportunities for improvement that we identify during the
analysis of the survey results. This survey is voluntary, but we hope you will participate. Surveys
conducted in prior years have led to the development of new products and processes to better serve
tribal tax needs, so your input is both valued and important.
If you have any questions or comments about this survey please feel free to contact me at (202)
283-9800, or you may write to us at the address shown above. Thank you for your valuable time to
help the office of Indian Tribal Governments better serve your needs.
Sincerely,

Christie Jacobs
Director
Enclosures:
Survey
Envelope

The ITG Customer Satisfaction Survey is coming this April!
The IRS established the Office of Indian Tribal Governments to help Indian tribes address their
federal tax matters. During the planning and creation of this office, we received valuable input from
Indian tribal governments and tribal associations so we would be better able to understand and meet
your specialized needs.
The overall goal of this office is to use partnership opportunities with Indian tribal governments to
respectfully and cooperatively meet the needs of both the tribal governments and the federal
government and to simplify the tax administration process.
As part of this ongoing process, we are asking each tribe to complete a survey about their
experiences with the ITG in the past year. We will mail the survey to the designated tribal leader in
early April, with responses due by June 30, 2013. All responses remain anonymous.
The survey results will post to our website. This survey is voluntary, but we hope you will participate.
Surveys conducted in prior years have led to the development of new products and processes to
better serve tribal tax needs, so your input is both valued and important.
If you have any questions or concerns about the survey, please contact your designated ITG
Specialist.

Have you completed your 2013 ITG Customer Satisfaction Survey?
We sent the 2013 ITG Customer Satisfaction Survey to each designated trial leader in mid April.
With a due date of 6/30/2013, there is still time to submit your survey. This survey is part of our
ongoing process to partnership with tribes to help us meet the needs of both tribal governments and
the federal government. All responses remain anonymous.
The survey results will post to our website. Although the survey is voluntary, surveys conducted in
prior years have led to the development of new products and processes to better serve tribal tax
needs, so your input is both valued and important. Some examples of these are:
•

New publications developed specifically for tribal customers

•

Changes to the ITG Website

•

Special compliance processes for smaller entities such as Alaska villages and Navajo
chapters

If you have any questions or concerns about the survey, please contact your designated ITG
Specialist.