The IRS Office of Online Services (OLS) Team is being honored in Category 1: Building a Customer Focused Culture for transforming how taxpayers report suspected fraud by placing citizen needs at the center of service design. Faced with a critical fraud reporting service that risked falling short of compliance requirements and diminishing public trust, the team worked closely with the IRS Whistleblower Office to redesign the experience around taxpayers. Despite limited staffing and an aggressive timeline, they delivered a modern, intuitive solution that reflects a culture of collaboration, customer focus, and continuous improvement.

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The team used customer behavior analytics, search data, and extensive collaboration with business stakeholders to create a centralized "Report Fraud" experience on IRS.gov. They simplified a fragmented reporting process into a clear, guided workflow featuring a dynamic webform that helps taxpayers determine reporting eligibility and submit accurate information. By elevating the service within the IRS.gov megamenu and ensuring compliance with the Taxpayer First Act, the team made fraud reporting easier to find, easier to understand, and easier to complete while strengthening collaboration across IRS offices.

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The team's customer-centered approach produced immediate results. Within six weeks of launch, megamenu clicks increased by 104.3%, overall sessions to fraud-related content grew by 36.01%, and click-through rates improved by 20.95%, demonstrating that significantly more taxpayers were successfully finding and using the service. By transforming a complex reporting process into a seamless digital experience, the Office of Online Services Team strengthened taxpayer confidence, improved access to critical services, and reinforced a culture focused on delivering better outcomes for the public.