Death and taxes are two things that are essentially guaranteed in life. While there's little you can do about the two in terms of avoiding them, the Internal Revenue Service is attempting to make the taxpaying process a little smoother by releasing its IRS2GO app for iPhone and Android smartphone users. The app's release comes just in time, as many citizens are begrudgingly beginning the process of filing their taxes for 2010.

Since filing taxes is a dreadful and, depending on the filer, sometimes expensive event, the fact that the IRS2GO is free provides some much needed consolation. Smartphones, especially iPhones and ones running on Google's Android platform, are increasing in popularity and provide their owners with several productivity features. Since so many apps are currently being developed and downloaded onto smartphones, the creation of an IRS app seemed as inevitable as the taxes themselves. 

As technology shifts more towards the mobile market, the IRS is trying to do the same. According to IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman, “This phone app is a first step for us. We will look for additional ways to expand and refine our use of smartphones and other new technologies to help meet the needs of taxpayers."

In an effort to cut costs and take advantage of technological advancements, the IRS has been urging taxpayers to do things electronically. This means collecting information for tax purposes using electronic methods, as well as partaking in e-filing. The move seems to be working, as last year it was reported that of the 142 million individual tax returns filed, 70 percent were done electronically. The IRS stopped mailing paper income tax packages to taxpayers last year to save resources, and instead referred taxpayers to libraries, post offices, and the Internet to find such information. 

The move to mobile is also a way for the IRS to engage younger taxpayers that seem to be deeply entrenched in the smartphone app world. Shulman stated, "This new smart phone app reflects our commitment to modernizing the agency and engaging taxpayers where they want when they want it. As technology evolves and younger taxpayers get their information in new ways, we will keep innovating to make it easy for all taxpayers to access helpful information."

IRS2GO offers users plenty of tax-related help. Taxpayers who e-file can get their refund status 72 hours after they receive a confirmation email from the IRS, compared to the three- to four-week waiting period required for traditional paper filers. They can find out when their refund check will be sent by entering their Social Security number, their filing status, and the expected refund amount in the app. For those worrying about divulging such information over the airwaves, the IRS says that the SSN is encrypted and masked for protection. Other highlights of IRS2GO include frequent tax tips and updates, as well as the ability to follow the IRS on Twitter for more information. 

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