Technology updates at Internal Revenue Service

(a) Implementation of automated formula To identify taxpayers at risk of economic hardship As soon as practicable, the Secretary of the Treasury (or the Secretary’s delegate), shall implement at the Internal Revenue Service an algorithm that will enable the Internal Revenue Service to— (1) identify taxpayers at high risk of economic hardship (as defined by the Secretary in regulations), (2) ask questions of taxpayers who contact the Internal Revenue Service regarding a balance due for purposes of identifying those at risk of hardship, (3) in the case of taxpayers at risk of economic hardship who seek to enter into streamlined installment agreements online, to notify such taxpayers of the resources available to them, (4) determine whether to exclude taxpayers’ debts from automated collection treatments such as the Federal Payment Levy Program, the private debt collection program, and passport certification, and (5) rank cases for collection priority. (b) Security standards for tax software The Secretary of the Treasury (or the Secretary’s delegate), shall— (1) as soon as practicable, promulgate such regulations and guidance as are necessary to prescribe information security standards for all tax software providers, and (2) annually thereafter, review and update such standards.