The IRS is expanding its endeavors into the artificial intelligence universe by using "voice bots" as an option to answer taxpayers' questions when calling the IRS.
Let's be honest, the IRS could probably use the robotic help since a recent Taxpayer Advocate survey found that the IRS answers only about 1 in 10 phone calls into their call centers. A 10% answer rate is dismal at a best.
The voice bot system has been in use since January and has answered some 3 million phone calls from taxpayers. Currently, the voice bots are used to answer more "routine" questions and ID verifications on interactive voice responses. In addition, the bots have been deployed to answer frequently asked questions about Economic Impact Payments and Advanced Child Tax Credit issues for taxpayers.
The IRS sees the expansion of the voice bot program this year into other areas of taxpayer customer service including:
- Taxpayer account and tax return transcripts
- Tax payment history
- Current tax balance due
Time will tell if the voice bot system is the answer to the IRS answering woes!
