I wanted to share with you a free online workshop series the Center for Taxpayer Rights is holding this fall, called Reimagining Tax Administration: Social Programs Through the Tax Code.  This series explores how the US tax system can better administer family and worker benefits such as the Child Tax Credit (CTC) and Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) . Each workshop session focuses on a different aspect of this challenge, from understanding the limits of present-day IRS return processing, to the characteristics of the populations these refundable tax credits are targeted to serve, to the cultural change required as a traditional revenue collection/enforcement-oriented tax agency acquires a second mission, namely, distributing social benefits.

The free online workshops are held Monday mornings throughout October and November, from 10:00 am to noon, Eastern time.  The topic for the workshop coming up for this Monday, 18 October, is Design Theory and Administrative Burden.  We have a great group of panelists:

• Jim Greiner, Abdul Latif Jamal Poverty Action Lab, Harvard University, Cambridge MA
• Professor Pamela Herd, Georgetown University, Washington DC
• Professor Donald Moynihan, Georgetown University, Washington DC
• Emily Schmitt, Office of Planning Research and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington DC

They will be discussing how systems, processes, and programs can be designed to reduce administrative burden, improve access to services, and remove barriers for participation through better program and communication design, including self-help initiatives.

You can access the full agenda for the workshop series here, and you can register for the workshop series by clicking the button below.