Ethics: IRS Behavioral Insights for Accountants

This course provides a concise overview of how the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) thinks. The session reviews how the agency uses behavioral insights -- the study of how people reflect and behave -- to drive compliance, positively impact taxpayer engagement, and reduce taxpayer burden. While the IRS is governed by federal tax law, it’s also shaped by social norms. As part of their mission to collect taxes and administer the Internal Revenue Code, the agency utilizes human psychology to achieve their goals. These activities include public identity (using the IRS logo, seal, and symbol), voluntary compliance (using public shaming and the “Wesley Snipes†effect), trust building (using a Taxpayer Bill of Rights), and error reductions (using alerts and reminders to nudge behaviors). The session reveals how to “get into the head†of the agency and better understand the key psychological factors (individual, environmental, social) that drive leading IRS operations and decisions. The course also spotlights the leading issues and pain-points that are currently “top of mind†for the agency and how practitioners can be more mindful in their interactions with the IRS to improve outcomes. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.