Our Chief Tax Officer Philip Hwang sat down with Federal News Network to talk IRS reform, digital tools, and the taxpayer experience

Optima Tax Relief's Chief Tax Officer and Lead Tax Attorney, Philip Hwang, who also serves as National Chair of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (TAP), recently joined Federal News Network host Terry Gerton to discuss TAP's newly released 2025 Annual Report. The report includes nearly 200 recommendations aimed at improving how the IRS serves taxpayers. Here are some of the highlights:

What is TAP?

TAP (Taxpayer Advocacy Panel) is a federal advisory committee made up of up to 75 volunteers across all 50 states, plus international members representing American expats. Their job is to collect feedback from everyday taxpayers and turn it into actionable recommendations for the IRS. You can even submit your own feedback at improveirs.org.

The digital push — but not at everyone's expense

Philip touched on the IRS's clear shift toward digital-first services, from the redesigned online account portal to chatbots to the new paperless refund initiative. That said, he was clear that paper options shouldn't disappear entirely. Plenty of taxpayers, especially in rural areas or those who are unbanked, still depend on them. As National Taxpayer Advocate Erin Collins has put it, paper is the IRS's kryptonite, and the backlog it creates is a real logistical burden.

The refund check situation

This was a big one. If you didn't provide bank info for direct deposit this tax season, the IRS sent a letter asking for it. However, filing that letter back could delay your paper check by up to six weeks. Philip acknowledged the communication around this wasn't ideal, and said TAP plans to gather feedback this year to shape better recommendations before next filing season.

Why your IRS online account isn't showing all your notices

Ever wonder why you can't see every IRS notice in your online account? Philip explained that the IRS runs on multiple legacy systems — some notices come from System A, others from System B or C — with no central repository tying them together. It's a technical debt problem the IRS is actively working to unify, but it helps explain why even seemingly simple improvements take time.

What Philip wants to see next

His top personal priority: better callback options for the IRS toll-free line. Specifically, the ability to schedule a callback digitally. That is without having to call in and wait on hold just to request the callback. Simple ask, complex execution, but he's optimistic.

Full interview: The IRS’ service picture may be improving, but taxpayers are still running into real friction