The Internal Revenue Service has opened an Instagram account where it will share information on the latest tax topics, but probably not many selfies or kitten photos.
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The IRS Instagram account will include taxpayer information to help people prepare for next tax season and all the changes from last December’s tax overhaul. The Instagram account will also offer information about any new tax scams spotted by the IRS, as the IRS continues to partner with state tax authorities and the tax preparation industry on their Security Summit initiative.
“The addition of Instagram is another step for the IRS to share information more widely and reach additional taxpayers,” said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig in a statement. “This platform will help make people aware of important options they have during the upcoming filing season as well as other tax information they might not be aware. The IRS will continue to work with and help taxpayers in as many ways possible.”
Instagram could help the IRS reach younger taxpayers. Over 70 percent of U.S. young adults between 18 and 24 are active on Instagram, according to research cited by the IRS. The agency intends to use Instagram to better serve this demographic segment, in addition to offering information on tax topics that affect all taxpayers.
The IRS Instagram account will also sometimes share information in Spanish and other languages. The @IRSnews account will work in conjunction with IRS.gov and the agency's other social media options on Facebook (which owns Instagram), Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
The overall IRS social media effort works in tandem with the IRS2Go free mobile app, which lets taxpayers check their refund status, pay taxes, watch IRS YouTube videos and get IRS Tax Tips via email. Like Instagram, the IRS2Go app is available from the Google Play Store for Android devices, or from the Apple App Store for Apple devices. IRS2Go is available in both English and Spanish, based on the phone's settings.
