Empathy Affect
On Empathy Affect, we explore the human side of government. We get to know the real people in government who serve us. We learn about their missions, the people they serve, and the true impact of their work. In each episode, we'll speak with real people about how they weave empathy into the policies and programs of government.
Empathy Affect
S1E13: Transforming Your Taxes: How New IRS Online Services Will Make Filing a Breeze
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) received about $80 billion in additional funding from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to make sweeping improvements—including how taxpayers interact with the agency. The IRS's Office of Online Services (OLS) has a big role to play in transforming the taxpayer experience as people increasingly opt to file digitally. On this episode of Fors Marsh Media's Empathy Affect, OLS Director Karen Howard and User Experience Services Director April Harding share how the IRS is using funding and strategy derived from the IRA to increase accessibility and transparency across its taxpayer services.
Karen Howard is the director of the IRS's OLS. She joined the IRS in 2020 after holding positions with companies like LPL Financial and the Renfro Corporation.
April Harding is the director of user experience services within OLS. She joined the IRS in 2023 after serving as a digital consultant, co-founder of Wellspring ID, and digital director at Stratacomm.
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