+74

Net Promoter Score

11 IRS. IRS Report to Congress: InflaƟon ReducƟon Act §10301(1)(B) IRS-run Direct e-File Tax Return System. Page 20. htps://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p5788.pdf

12 Net Promoter ScoreSM is a service mark of Bain & Company, Inc., NICE Systems, Inc., and Fred Reichheld.

13 Bain & Company. “New Bain CerƟfied NPS Benchmarks: Companies Customers Love.” Page 7. htps://media.bain.com/Images/BAIN_DIGEST_New_Bain_CerƟfied_NPS_Benchmarks.pdf

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The Touchpoints survey engendered a robust response, with a 13% completion rate and

15,082 responses. The survey was offered in both English and Spanish, and Spanish

speakers were particularly enthusiastic about responding, with a 26% completion rate. The

survey provided ample space for free text responses to prompts about different aspects of the

Direct File experience, suggestions about how the product could be improved, and invited

taxpayers to participate in future user research about their experience. However, as a

completion survey, administered after submitting or resubmitting a tax return, it does not

capture the views of taxpayers who decided not to use Direct File. The 2024 TES, once

available, will better measure of the opinions of all taxpayers, regardless of whether they filed

using Direct File or not.

Overall experience

When asked to rate their overall experience Figure 8. Please rate your overall experience

using Direct File, 90% of respondents chose using Direct File.

Excellent or Above Average (see Figure 8).

Asked what they particularly liked, respondents

most often cited Direct File’s ease of use,

trustworthiness and association with the IRS,

and that it was free.

Taxpayers appreciated Direct File’s clear instructions and straightforward approach. In

response to what they liked about Direct File,

one taxpayer responded, “Clear instructions and it was easy to verify with my phone while my

laptop updated the info at the same time. Everything was fast and directions and links were

easy to follow.” Even taxpayers who had less experience with taxes were pleasantly surprised.

One said of their experience, “Más difícil para mí que nunca había hecho algo así. Pensé era

mucho más, y más difícil, pero no.” (Harder for me since I had never done something like this.

I thought it would be much more difficult, but no.)

More quotes on this theme:

• “The information is presented clearly, and I never found myself confused. The links

that provide quick info (tooltips?) were especially good.”

• “La información y pasos a seguir fueron muy claros de entender y muy fácil de seguir.”

(The information and steps to follow were very clear to understand and very easy to

follow.)

• “It was amazing, easiest taxes I've ever prepared! Really impressed that this was put

together by the IRS.”

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• “Todo el proceso es de lo mejor, preciso y eficiente.” (The entire process is top notch,

precise and efficient.)

Taxpayers described their trust in the system. One said, “The

Figure 9. My experience with entire system made me trust that my taxes were done

Direct File increased my trust in correctly.” Another taxpayer believed that the ease of using

the IRS. Direct File aided them in preparing an accurate return, saying,

“The simplification of the process prevented any potential

misunderstandings and streamlined the process.” And

taxpayers appreciated the ability to file directly with the IRS.

One said, “Greatly appreciate the opportunity to file directly

with the IRS rather than a third-party provider. The system

was easy to use and understand.” These feelings translated

toward increased overall trust in the IRS, with 86% of

taxpayers saying that their experience with Direct File

increased their trust (see Figure 9).

Of course, taxpayers appreciated that Direct File was free. When asked what they liked about

Direct File, one taxpayer responded, “I liked that it was 100% free and simple.” One user

research participant described how she had lost her job this year, was short on cash, and the

tax software she had used previously would cost $70 for filing a 1099-G for unemployment

compensation. Usually, she would have filed at the beginning of tax season, but this year,

money was so tight that she thought she would need to wait for her next paycheck to be able

to cover the cost of filing her taxes. She decided to use Direct File because it was free. Asked

to rate her experience using Direct File, she said, “10 out of 10,” and was happy about her

choice because it was easy to use, and she had