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January 11, 2024: Amendment 3: Posted an additional Questions and Answers (Q&A) Document titled: QUESTIONS_IRA Initiative 2.1 RFI Response Jan.11.2024. January 5, 2024: Amendment 2: Posted the Questio... January 11, 2024: Amendment 3: Posted an additional Questions and Answers (Q&A) Document titled: QUESTIONS_IRA Initiative 2.1 RFI Response Jan.11.2024. January 5, 2024: Amendment 2: Posted the Questions and Answers (Q&A) Document. January 3, 2024: Amendment 1: Removed the secondary point of contact name from the RFI. Extended the RFI response date to January 12, 2024 at 5:00PM EST. Updated the RFI documents to reflect the RFI response date extension. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Initiative 2.1: Identify Errors During Filing Request for Information (RFI) Introduction This is a Request for Information (RFI) (hereinafter Notice). This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, request for bids or quotations, nor a promise to issue a solicitation in the future. The purpose of this RFI is for the Government to obtain knowledge and information for project planning purposes only. No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in responses to this Notice, unless otherwise appropriately marked by the Respondent. The Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical information received in response to this Notice in any resultant solicitation(s). Do Not Submit any Proposals/Offers in response to this Notice. The Government has interest in and is seeking information regarding the capability of providing services pertaining to creating new specialized tax training courses, assessing existing Agency training courses, and strategic tax advisory services. Request for Information Notice ID Number: 24-IRA-OBSA Project Title / Short Description: IRA Initiative 2.1: Identify Errors During Filing PSC Code: B506 Special Studies/Analysis - Data (Other Than Scientific) NAICS Code: 541611 Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services Release Date: December 22, 2023 Response Date: January 12, 2024, 5:00 PM EST Primary Point of Contact and Contact Information: Name: Tanya Outland Title: A-PMO Liaison Email: Tanya.E.Outland@irs.gov IRA Initiative 2.1: Identify Errors During Filing The overall goal of Initiative 2.1 is to develop the capability for IRS to identify issues with tax returns at the point of filing, notify taxpayers and tax professionals about those potential issues, and allow them to make corrections, reducing the need to resolve errors later. To achieve this goal, the IRS will develop the capability to perform real-time checks of electronically filed return for errors in real time, match those returns against available third-party and internal data, and evaluate the taxpayer’s eligibility for credits and deductions. The IRS will also develop the capability to explain potential issues in plain language via notifications that could be delivered to taxpayers and preparers directly or through their tax software. Notifications would include instructions on how to correct the issue and resubmit the return. The IRS could then resolve issues before resubmission or follow existing processes to reject returns or accept them prior to resolution. Partnerships with tax preparation software companies will also facilitate issue resolution prior to acceptance. The IRS is looking for vendors who can support the IRS in planning, executing, and coordinating complex project portfolios that will achieve the following outcomes: 1.1 Leveraging Information Returns to Reduce Issues The planned outcomes include the capability to: Match information return documents to the associated tax return within IRS systems. Allow taxpayers to access their information return documents through their Individual Online Accounts. Process information return documents earlier in the year as needed. Validate a taxpayer’s estimated tax payments against their payment history within IRS systems. Identify errors on tax returns within IRS’s electronic tax filing systems in a manner consistent with the existing Error Resolution System (ERS). 1.2 Engaging Software Companies to Resolve or Identify Issues Quickly The planned outcomes include: Providing compliance business logic to tax software providers so they can better assist taxpayers in avoiding errors. Providing credit business logic to tax software providers so they can better assist taxpayers in obtaining as many appropriate credits as possible. Identifying indicators of malicious tax preparer clusters to share with tax software providers to assist in better warning potential taxpayer victims. Improving partnerships with tax software providers to identify ghost preparers and warn potentially victimized taxpayers. Developing the capability to provide real-time access to information return data to tax preparation software at the point of filing so they can better assist taxpayers in avoiding errors. 1.3 Leveraging Advanced Analytics to Detect Issues at Filing The planned outcomes include: Facilitating the use of data throughout the IRS to help ensure the service is focused on areas that will result in a maximum impact for the service and taxpayer. 1.4 Detect Scams and Schemes at Filing The planned outcomes include the capability to: Match tax returns against prior year returns and tax account information to reject returns with indicators consistent with known scams/schemes. Implement future matching against additional indicators relating to scams/schemes not yet identified. Utilize AI-based anomaly detection to detect taxpayer and tax preparer behavior patterns indicating victimization by and/or participation in a tax scam or scheme. 1.5 Delivering Proactive Alerts The planned outcomes include the capability to: Provide customizable, programmable, and automated informational and reminder alerts to taxpayers and tax preparers about issues identified with their tax returns through their preferred communication channels, including text messaging, without requiring use of IRS’s e-filing systems. Utilize security and authentication measures to protect taxpayer privacy. Enable taxpayers to allow the IRS to use their tax data to personalize their alerts and related alerts to their tax preparers. 1.6 Improvements to E-File The planned outcomes include the capability to: Hold a tax return within IRS systems in an “tentative” status for a to-be-defined period without either accepting or rejecting it. Modify as needed what indicators automatically place a tax return in this status. Allow taxpayers and tax preparers to correct returns held in this status and replace their previous submission with the corrected version. Track the corrections are being made over time and across submitted returns to identify patterns in behavior to predict and prevent errors. Identify compliance issues caused by a lack of capabilities in IRS e-filing systems and address them with system changes to automatically prevent such issues. 1.7 Improvements to Business-Related Filings The planned outcomes include the capability to replicate all changes made to IRS’s systems which process individual tax returns within those that process business tax returns. Description of Services To accomplish the goals of these project portfolios, the IRS is looking for support in planning and executing multiple complex projects. The contractor should be capable of: Gathering and reviewing information from IRS business process and system owners to evaluate IRS’s current systems and processes, reconcile associated change initiatives, and make recommendations to streamline and reengineer IRS processes, documentation/knowledge management, and training to accomplish the stated portfolio goals. Coordinating with IRS business process and system owners to develop requirements for IRS IT system changes necessary to accomplish the stated portfolio goals. Developing business cases to justify the changes necessary to accomplish the stated portfolio goals, including any analytics needed to demonstrate benefits and risk-benefit tradeoffs. Coordinating approval of proposals to make necessary IT system and process changes, as well as any changes to associated training and documentation/knowledge management. This includes coordinating legal reviews with IRS Counsel. Developing project plans that include key performance indicators and a measurement plan to track success after implementation as well as communications/change management plans to keep stakeholders and employees informed and reduce change resistance. Developing business implementation plans to guide IRS stakeholders in coordinating enactment of approved business process and system changes, as well as any changes to associated training and documentation/knowledge management. Coordinating a multi-faceted cross-organizational process to accomplish all required changes and meet agreed-upon milestones, implement the project plan and communication strategy, and evaluate outcomes. This will be a project management role, not a role in directly implementing system or process changes. Coordinating with IRS stakeholders in using IRS data to plan and execute complex analytical efforts to support project portfolio goals. The contractor should also be capable of providing overall program management support and coordination, including managing multiple interacting projects, schedules, and resources to ensure on-time execution and full IRS awareness of progress. RFI Instructions Responses to this RFI are requested in three (3) parts and must be submitted using Attachment 2 RFI Response Template. Part I: Company Profile - IRS seeks company profile information about the firms that provide services positioned to address the requirements discussed above. Part II: Capability - IRS seeks Industry responses to specific questions. Do not include any support documentation for any company other than your own. This is an analysis of your company’s abilities. Part III: Questions and Comments – IRS will accept open questions and comments. Part I: Company Profile Information Offerors are required to provide the following company information: Company Name and Address Company technical Point of Contact (POC) information to include name, title, telephone number, and email address. Applicable NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) Code List active governmentwide contracts that your company has been awarded (GWACs, IDIQs, and BPAs – include applicable SIN) Business Classification / Socio-Economic Status (e.g., large, small, 8(a), women owned, hub-zone, SDB, Service-Disabled Veteran Owned) Subcontracting/partnering/teaming possibilities Part II: Capability Responses to this Notice should include the following: Pricing How would you structure the team(s) needed to successfully deliver on this potential requirement? What labor categories do you think are applicable to each task, and why? What are the average years of experience of the team members you would assign to this potential contract? What level of education and/or what certification(s) would your team members offer? What hourly rates would your company charge for the different levels of expertise needed? What is a ballpark estimated price to successfully deliver these requirements and how did you reach that figure? Experience/Expertise Please provide a summary of your most relevant experience working with similar government entities (based on mission, structure, and other key characteristics), particularly to define a needed change, identify the requirements for that change and potential obstacles, develop a proposal to make that change and overcome those obstacles, and secure approval of the change, all while taking existing change initiatives into account. Are you familiar with the IRS mission, organizational structure, related provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act, and the IRS Strategic Operating Plan? What is your experience with IRS IT systems, processes, and data, or your most relevant experience? What is your experience with tax scams, particularly identifying and protecting taxpayers from tax scams, or your most relevant similar experience? Please provide a summary of your most relevant experience with identifying and preventing errors in complex processes that have a large legal compliance component. What is your experience with the tax software industry and building relationships within that industry, or your most relevant experience? Please provide a summary of your most relevant experience with project management, particularly managing numerous projects of this scale and complexity with shifting timelines and multi-year delivery schedules that require coordinating a significant number of diverse stakeholders. Please provide a high-level summary of your most relevant experience in assessing the impact of changes to processes and systems, defining success measures, and assessing whether processes and systems are succeeding, as well as communications, organizational change management, and reconciling the interests of different stakeholders. Please provide a summary of your most relevant experience with IT-related projects, particularly those that involve legacy IT system upgrades and/or IT system modernizations. Please provide a summary of your most relevant experience with process redesign/reengineering and process improvement. Please provide a summary of your most relevant experience defining analytical needs and performing complex analytical projects, particularly involving working with unstructured data, as well as your experience working with SAS, Python, R, and Microsoft Project. Please provide a summary of your most relevant experience with human-centered design of systems and processes and customer experience research and analysis. General In your estimation, is it reasonable to have these separate project portfolios on a single Performance Work Statement (i.e., is it likely that your company or any company could perform well on every one of them)? Please provide any additional insights that would help us craft the requirement(s) to best meet our need. Part III: Questions and Comments Open questions and comments relevant to this RFI should be provided for consideration. Other Attachments Attachment 1 – IRA Initiative 2.1 RFI Response Terms and Conditions Regarding this Notice This Notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. All costs associated with responding to this Notice are solely at the responding party's expense. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Further, the Government may contact the vendor for additional information regarding the information submitted as part of this market research effort. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization’s qualifications to perform the work. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. After a review of the responses received, a pre-solicitation synopsis and solicitation may be published in Government Point of Entry or other similar source (e.g., GSA E-buy). However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation. Responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract or agreement. The Government will not be obligated to pursue any acquisition alternative as a result of this notice. Responses to the notice will not be returned. Not responding to this notice does not preclude participation in any future solicitation if one is issued. No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in responses to this Notice, unless otherwise appropriately marked by the Respondent. The Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical information received in response to this Notice in any resultant solicitation(s). Do Not Submit any Proposals/Offers in response to this Notice. Thank you for your response to this Request for Information.