IRS Free Online Tax Service Wins SIIA's Award for Innovation in Public Service
Software & Information Industry Association Recognizes the Free File Program: A Unique Public-Private Partnership that Aides Low Income Tax Filers
WASHINGTON, April 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) today announced it has awarded the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) Free File Program with its Special Award for Innovation in Public Service. The Award, which exemplifies public service initiatives that utilize information technology in an innovative and collaborative way, will be presented to IRS Director of Electronic Tax Administration David Williams and Free File Alliance Executive Director Tim Hugo at SIIA's CODiE Awards ceremony next week.
"The partnership between the IRS and the Free File Alliance in creating an online tax filing service for low income Americans has truly forged a new model of public-private collaboration," said SIIA President Ken Wasch. "The Program provides the highest level of service to the public in delivering free electronic government services to those in need, while encouraging innovation in the private sector."
Since its inception in January 2003, the IRS Free File Program - a partnership between the Free File Alliance's 19 private tax software companies and the IRS - has helped more than 25 million low- and middle-income Americans safely prepare and e-file federal tax returns at no cost. Millions more have been prepared and delivered by the 21 State Free File programs that have been established across the country on the basis of the national Free File agreement governed by the IRS. This year, the IRS Free File Program made e-filing free for every American, regardless of income.
"The nation's software industry has stepped up to provide no-cost service to millions of hard working taxpayers through a strategic partnership with government," said David Williams, IRS Director of Electronic Tax Administration. "Our research shows that this collaborative model has led to significant increases in electronic tax filing -- helping the IRS achieve its goal of ensuring that 80 percent of all tax returns are filed electronically. I cannot stress enough the importance of electronic filing to American taxpayers, the IRS and industry. Free File has been an important part of our strategy to reach the 80 percent goal."
"The IRS and the U.S. Treasury's collaboration with the private sector enabled this ground-breaking public service to evolve with almost no public funding," said Tim Hugo, Executive Director of the Free File Alliance. "The Free File Alliance is committed to continually working with the IRS to serve American taxpayers and provide them with essential services at no cost."
The CODiE Awards (www.siia.net/codies/2009) honor outstanding achievement and vision in the software and information industry. The program is the industry's most extensive and well-regarded annual awards program and the nation's only peer-reviewed technology awards program. At a gala event in San Francisco next week, SIIA will announce the winners of the 2009 CODiE awards, and during that time the Special Award for Innovation in Public Service will be presented to the IRS and Free File Alliance. Wasch continued, "The Free File Program is a public-private collaboration that truly provides a superb model for achieving excellence in e-government. It has helped consumers save millions of dollars in tax preparation fees, and has saved the government and American taxpayers millions of dollars from the resulting efficiencies in tax return processing and administration. At the same time, it has enabled the private sector software industry to continue to invest, innovate and compete in an open commercial marketplace."
About SIIA
The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) is the principal trade association for the software and digital content industry. SIIA provides global services in government relations, business development, corporate education and intellectual property protection to 500 leading software and information companies. For further information, visit www.siia.net.
