IRS is into tweeting big-time

By Dian Vujovich

How about that social media. It’s everywhere. And everybody’s doing it. Even our Uncle Sam’s own IRS has expanded its services into the land of Tweetville.

Yes, it’s absolutely true, the IRS wants to make sure all of its news gets to everyone in cyberspace so it now has its own Twitter feed, @IRSnews. Set up for ordinary taxpayers— @IRStaxpros is designed for tax professionals— here’s a way taxing news we all can use is brought to us in a version short enough for anybody to swallow.

While Iris, that’s the name I’ve affectionally given this agency, you know, to personalize it, has been a YouTube player since August of ’09. But their Twtter-thing is relatively new.

Because the agency has a long arm that extends to all of us whether we are rich or poor, and, I don’t want anyone to miss a bit of what Iris has to say, here are a few of the latest Tweets:

• A copy of your #IRS tax return…$57. A transcript of that same return…free. Priceless. http://go.usa.gov/CIB #tax #taxreturn #taxes

• Check out #IRS YouTube videos http://www.youtube.com/IRSvideos. They’re available in English, Spanish and now American Sign Language. #ASL

• Are you on the #IRS’s annual Undelivered Refund List? If so, find out how to claim that refund. http://go.usa.gov/C7w #refunds #tax

• IRS: #Tax Information for Members of the #Military. http://go.usa.gov/CQt #veterans #armedforces #homebuyers #EITC #combat

•#IRS issues 2011 #mileage rates for figuring #tax #deduction for #business, #charitable, #medical or #moving purposes. http://go.usa.gov/10U

If you’re wondering how popular this Twitter feed could become, since August of last year, the agency reported that there have been over 1 million views of the following: IRSvideos (http://www.youtube.com/irsvideos), IRS multilingual (http://www.youtube.com/user/IRSvideosmultilingua) and IRS American Sign Language (ASL) (http://www.youtube.com/IRSvideosASL)

Looks like Iris rocks.