Barr, whose name has become synonymous with electronic filing as head of the IRS's e-filing initiative, will leave his post at the IRS Oct. 6 to join Texas-based Dell Computers as director of federal marketing.

Terry Lutes, the current director of the Martinsburg Computing Center, will serve as Barr's interim successor while the IRS searches for a permanent replacement, Barr said. Lutes previously served as the National Director of Electronic Filing Operations, where he worked with Barr.

During Barr's three years at the IRS, e-filing grew 85 percent and payments collected electronically grew to $1.5 trillion from $384 billion.

Barr, who joined the IRS from computer chip giant Intuit, where he served as a vice president, said he had his sights set on returning to the private sector.

"We've had several years of solid results," he said. "The administration is clearly behind the program, and so is Congress. I'm pleased with the progress. At the same time, a great opportunity came up."

Barr said the ETA's biggest accomplishments during his tenure were: "the development and delivery of a strategic plan; building a sustainable organization and a solid team; and introducing a change-oriented culture with a commitment toward e-business, not just for its cost-saving capabilities, but also for its customer service capabilities."

In the latest Customer Satisfaction Index, conducted by the university of Michigan, traditional filing scored a 51 out of 100, compared to a 74 for e-filing, Barr noted, adding that the private sector benchmark is 72.

-- By Melissa Klein

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