SOI-406 Cover Sheet

Supporting Statement

Approval Request to Conduct Cognitive and Psychological (or Customer Satisfaction) Research

(OMB Control Number: 1545-1349)

Focus Group for TFP Tax Forms & Publication Landing Page and Product Page

PURPOSE:

The Tax Forms and Publications (TF&P) Office of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Wage and Investment division, creates tax forms, instructions, and related publications to enable taxpayers to understand and fulfill their filing and reporting obligations under the tax laws of the United States. This information is posted on the Internal Revenue Service website, IRS.gov to assist with the demand for timely, accurate service, and reducing taxpayer burden. TFP has specific responsibility for certain sections of the IRS.gov site, and works with TF&P’s parent organization, Media & Publications (M&P), and the Public Portal Branch to maintain the Forms and Publications section of IRS.gov

In order to address the increasing demand for electronic products and services, TF&P seeks reaction and suggestions for improvement from individual and business taxpayers, tax professionals, and other users of IRS.gov. TF&P would like to use focus groups to determine the usability of content on the Forms and Publication pages and Product Page, and receive specific suggestions for improvements to specific pages. TF&P would like to use these suggestions to improve the web usability, content and services it provides.

DESCRIPTION OF RESPONDENTS:

• Individual and Small Business taxpayers and Tax Practitioners who in the last 12 months accessed IRS.gov to locate information about tax forms, instructions, and/or publications.

TYPE OF COLLECTION: (Check one)

[ ] Customer Comment Card/Complaint Form [ ] Customer Satisfaction Survey

[ ] Usability Testing (e.g., Website or Software [ ] Small Discussion Group

[X] Focus Group [ ] Other: ______________________

CERTIFICATION:

I certify the following to be true:

1. The collection is voluntary.

2. The collection is low-burden for respondents and low-cost for the Federal Government.

3. The collection is non-controversial and does not raise issues of concern to other federal agencies.

4. The results are not intended to be disseminated to the public.

5. Information gathered will not be used for the purpose of substantially informing influential policy decisions.

6. The collection is targeted to the solicitation of opinions from respondents who have experience with the program or may have experience with the program in the future.

Name:____Patricia Wagner______________________________

To assist review, please provide answers to the following question:

Personally Identifiable Information:

1. Is personally identifiable information (PII) collected? [ ] Yes [X ] No

2. If Yes, is the information that will be collected included in records that are subject to the Privacy Act of 1974? [ ] Yes [ ] No

3. If Applicable, has a System or Records Notice been published? [ ] Yes [ ] No

Gifts or Payments:

Is an incentive (e.g., money or reimbursement of expenses, token of appreciation) provided to participants? [ X] Yes [ ] No

• We plan to offer $75 for a 2 hour focus group session. Payment is being offered to the participants to compensate them-for their time to participate in the focus group and to ensure qualified participants attend the sessions. .

BURDEN HOURS

Category of Respondent	No. of Respondents	Participation Time (In Minutes)		Burden (In Hours)
Recruitment	800	5	66.7
Follow-up Phone Call	96	1	1.6
Travel to Focus Group Facility	80	30	40
Individual, Small Business Taxpayers and Tax Practitioners	80	120	160
Totals	80	156	268.3

FEDERAL COST: The estimated annual cost to the Federal government is __$98,000___

The selection of your targeted respondents

1. Do you have a customer list or something similar that defines the universe of potential respondents and do you have a sampling plan for selecting from this universe? [ ] Yes [X] No

If the answer is yes, please provide a description of both below (or attach the sampling plan)? If the answer is no, please provide a description of how you plan to identify your potential group of respondents and how you will select them?

To participate in the study, participants must have the following characteristics:

• Fluent in reading, writing, and speaking English

• In the last 12 months, accessed IRS.gov to locate information about tax forms, instructions, and/or publications

• For tax professionals only –prepared at least 25 Federal tax returns each year

• At least 18 years old

• Diverse in terms of age, gender, race/ethnicity, and education.

Administration of the Instrument

1. How will you collect the information? (Check all that apply)

[ ] Web-based or other forms of Social Media

[ ] Telephone

[ X ] In-person

[ ] Mail

[ ] Other, Explain

2. Will interviewers or facilitators be used? [ X ] Yes [ ] No

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