Intuit executive named to IRS Information Reporting Program Advisory Committee; Robert E. Barr seeks to eliminate electronic filing "paperwork"

Business Wire, Dec 12, 1994

MENLO PARK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 12, 1994--Intuit Inc. (NASDAQ:INTU), the nation's leading publisher of personal and small business finance and tax software, has announced that Robert E. Barr, vice president of electronic services, has been named by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to serve on the IRS's 1995-1996 Information Reporting Program Advisory Committee (IRPAC). Barr's two-year term becomes effective in January, 1995. With this appointment, Barr -- already a member of the prestigious IRS Commissioner's Advisory Group (CAG) -- now becomes the only person ever selected by the IRS to serve concurrently on both of its two advisory committees.

IRPAC studies and counsels the IRS on issues surrounding all information returns filed by taxpayers, such as the W-2 form (Wages), the 1099 form (Miscellaneous Income) or the CTR form (Currency Transaction Report). The committee is comprised of 22 members from both the public and private sectors. Each member represents a different industry segment with an interest in IRS activities and policies, such as small financial institutions or the public accounting field. Barr will be the sole IRPAC representative for the computer software development community.

Barr, an expert in and advocate of electronic tax filing and payments, will also be the IRPAC representative for the Council for Electronic Revenue Communication Advancement. The Council, of which Intuit is a founding member, is a consortium of both private and public sector organizations devoted to the aggressive and responsible advancement of electronic tax return filing.

IRS officials tapped Barr for an IRPAC spot because of his expertise in technology-enabling systems, electronic filing and electronic funds transfer.

"With a considerable number of applicants competing for just a few positions on the Committee, being selected to serve (on IRPAC) is quite an accomplishment," noted Ronald S. Rhodes, the IRS's executive director of the Information Reporting Program.

According to Barr, the biggest challenge he seeks to address during his IRPAC tenure is eliminating the necessity to file paper W-2 forms and an 8453 Signature Document with otherwise electronically filed 1040 personal income tax returns. "We need to make it as simple as possible for taxpayers to file electronically, since increasing participation in the electronic filing program is a key part of the IRS's overall modernization effort," commented Barr. "But today, people who file electronically still have to file paper W-2 forms and a signature document. Eliminating this extra layer of paperwork will make it easier than ever to file electronically, so more people will do so," concluded Barr.

IRS figures show that 13.5 million individual returns were filed electronically for the 1993 tax year, up from 12.3 million for 1992. This figure represents roughly 12 percent of the 114 million individual returns filed for the 1993 tax year. The IRS's goal is to receive 60 percent of individual returns electronically by the year 2000.

Intuit develops and markets software products that enable individuals, professionals and small businesses to automate their financial lives. Intuit's Quicken and QuickBooks products allow users to manage their personal and small business finances. Intuit supplies and services, such as the Quicken VISA card with IntelliCharge, work with its software to further automate finances. The company's popular TurboTax, MacInTax and ProSeries software enable consumers, small businesses and professional tax preparers to prepare their own or their clients' tax returns.

CONTACT: Intuit Tax Products Group

              619/453-4446
              Bob Barr, ext. 463 or
              bob_barr@intuit.com
              or
              Debra Kelley, ext. 482 or
              debra_kelley@intuit.com