IR-2014-48, April 9, 2014 WASHINGTON – As the filing season deadline approaches, the Internal Revenue Service today reminded taxpayers of its social media tools available to help them get the latest tax information and check on their refund status. These tools include the IRS2Go smartphone application, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr. The centerpiece of IRS social media efforts is YouTube, where viewers can watch three different channels for short, informative videos in English, Spanish and American Sign Language (ASL). The channels include more than 100 videos and have been viewed more than 7.5 million times. Videos are also featured on the IRS Facebook and Tumblr sites. In addition, more than 95,500 people follow the IRS Twitter feeds. The latest tax information is available at @IRSnews and @IRSenEspanol. @IRStaxpros provides news and guidance for tax professionals. @RecruitmentIRS provides updates for job seekers, and the Taxpayer Advocate Service has information available @YourVoiceAtIRS. Over 5.5 million people have downloaded the free IRS2Go phone app, which is available in both English and Spanish for Apple and Android devices. The totally redesigned IRS2Go 4.0 provides features to help taxpayers check on the status of their tax refunds, obtain tax records, find free tax preparation providers and stay connected with the IRS through social media channels such as YouTube and Twitter. To protect taxpayer privacy, the IRS only uses social media tools to share public information, not to answer personal tax or account questions. It advises taxpayers to never post confidential information, like a Social Security number, on social media sites. For more details on IRS’s social media tools visit IRS.gov. Follow the IRS on New Media Subscribe to IRS Newswire
