IRS W&I Independent Review of IRS Free File Program

[DATE]

Dear Taxpayer,

In the last few days, you should have received a letter from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) asking you to help us with MITRE’s important study on the IRS Free File online software program.

We invite you to participate in this study as a taxpayer who may use IRS Free File. We need volunteers in your city to participate in an in-person interview. Participants will receive a $100 pre-paid VISA gift card.

How to participate

• Please call (571) 310-1902 or visit www.mitre.org/freefile.

• We’ll ask some questions to determine eligibility for in-person interviews. We will not ask for your Social Security number or individual taxpayer identification number.

• We’ll schedule a time to meet with you for a 60 to 90-minute in-person interview if you are eligible to participate.

Why we’re conducting this study

• We need your feedback to learn whether taxpayers like you can use IRS Free File online software without too much difficulty.

• MITRE will use your feedback to make recommendations to the IRS on how they can improve taxpayers’ experience using the IRS Free File online program in the future.

• The MITRE Corporation is a not-for-profit company that operates research and development centers for the federal government, and is conducting this study for the IRS.

If you wish to verify this study is legitimate and not a scam, you can visit www.irs.gov/css or call (800) 829-1040. We are conducting this study under Office of Management and Budget approval number 1545-2274.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Lucia Lykke, Ph.D. Lead Researcher

MITRE Study Team Members: Jamel Morris, MITRE Project Manager Mikhael King

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 1545-2274. The time estimated for your participation is 90 minutes. 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, – Room 6129 1111 Constitution Ave., NW, Washington, DC  20224.

The MITRE Corporation

7525 Colshire Drive, McLean, VA 22102