What:

• Annual telephone survey conducted by an outside contractor – Pacific Market Research (PMR) -- to determine the satisfaction level of tax practitioners with SBSE products and services and their dealings with IRS on behalf their clients’ tax matters
• Participation is completely voluntary but greatly welcomed.
• All responses are anonymous – IRS does not know the identity of any respondent.  Participation and responses will not affect the individual tax situation of the practitioners or any of their clients
• Survey company will not ask for any personal or financial information (i.e. bank accounts, SSN, etc) about you, your company, or any of your clients.

Who:

• Eligible are tax practitioners who have filed at least 25 returns for tax year 2009, with at least 50% of those SBSE returns and at least 10 BMF returns
  • SBSE Returns are: 1120, 1120S, 1065 and 1040 with schedule C, E, or F
  • Tax practitioners include: CPAs, Attorneys, Enrolled Agents, Unenrolled Return Preparers
• Respondents are randomly selected from a public Dun & Bradstreet list purchased by the survey contractor.   IRS does not choose individual participants.
• The goal is to surveys completed by 1800 tax professionals.  To reach this goal, up to 9000 practitioners may need to be contacted to take the survey
• Survey contractor: Pacific Market Research (PMR)

How:

• Pre-letters from PMR and SBSE Commissioner Chris Wagner are being sent in waves to all potential respondents inviting them to take survey
• PMR contacts respondents by telephone to complete survey
• Practitioners who receive a letter may also contact PMR to schedule a convenient time to take the survey if they wish – use phone number provided in letter
• Survey takes approximately 18 – 25 minutes to complete

When:

• Survey will begin on November 3, 2010 and run into January, 2011 until the target of 1800 completed surveys is reached.

Other:

• OMB Control number: 1545-1432