irs

Good news millennials: The IRS is now hiring! In a speech at the National Press Club today, IRS Commissioner John Koskinen said that the IRS will now be encouraging more millennials to come work at the agency.

As the first generation to be raised entirely in the digital age, millennials are in their element working with all things tech including social media and all types of software applications.

However, tech-savvy millennials may find working for the antiquated IRS somewhat challenging. That’s because many of the programs the IRS uses are more than 50 years old. As Commissioner Koskinen has said:

“In regard to software, we still have applications that were running when John F. Kennedy was President.”

In fact, the IRS still uses a programming language that was considered outdated at the turn of the millennium:

“And we continue to use COBOL programming language. COBOL was considered outdated back when I served as Chairman of the President’s Council on Year 2000 Conversion and it is extremely difficult to find IT experts who are versed in this language.”

While millennials are often derided for being anti-social and glued to their technology, this aversion to real life communication makes them an ideal fit with the IRS. Already, the agency does not answer phone calls at local offices and does not allow elderly or disabled taxpayers to leave phone messages. Taxpayers have also found it difficult and time consuming to get through to a human being this filing season.

Although they may not answer the phone, the IRS is nevertheless working very hard to find “modern” new initiatives in order to increase efficiency. One exciting new idea the IRS is trying — on a limited basis —  allows taxpayers to set up appointments, instead of waiting in line for hours and hours outside their local office. As Koskinen stated in his speech:

“To help cut down on the long lines, one new approach we’re trying is very simple. Why not let people make appointments in advance rather than wait in line for hours. We began doing this at 10 centers in February and recently added 34 more.”

With its groundbreaking modern ideas and technology, millennials will feel right at home working for the IRS.