Frank Bisignano, the Trump administration’s newly installed IRS leader, has signaled a stronger push toward technology-driven efficiency. Mr. Bisignano – named chief executive of the IRS in October while also serving as Social Security Administration commissioner – said the agency doesn’t need more staff despite significant recent workforce reductions, arguing instead for modernizing operations and streamlining processes. The IRS will revise how it measures call-center performance, replacing older metrics with clearer indicators like speed of answer and abandonment rates. It will also continue two DOGE-era initiatives: linking internal data systems as a shortcut to modernization (instead of a full legacy overhaul) and outsourcing parts of paper return processing by using contractors to scan and digitize returns, though Mr. Bisignano said he prefers a hybrid model rather than full privatization.
