Terence Lutes, who has served as the interim director since October, will remain the ETA director, succeeding Robert Barr, who left the IRS in October to join Texas-based Dell Computers as director of federal marketing.

In his new role, Lutes serves as the primary advisor to the agency on IRS-wide electronic administration matters, the IRS said. One of his primary responsibilities will be to ensure the smooth transition of e-services into standard IRS practice.

The ETA coordinates policy, security and other issues relating to electronic services and assists the IRS's business divisions in implementing electronic interactions into their standard operations, the IRS stated.

Prior to serving as the ETA's director, Lutes was the director of the IRS's Martinsburg Computing Center. Lutes also worked as the director of electronic program operations, assistant director of the Cincinnati district office and assistant director of the Cincinnati service center.

In recent years, the IRS has strongly promoted electronic filing and its efforts are starting to pay off. In 2000, more than 35 million returns were filed electronically, an increase of nearly 85 percent three years prior, the IRS said. And during the same period, online filing from home computers rose above 5 million, 13 times the level from 1997.

-- SmartPros News Staff

Send comments to information@smartpros.com.

Back to NewsLine