(March 22, 1999) Barr is the assistant commissioner of the IRS Electronic Tax Administration. Prior to joining the IRS, Barr served as vice president for government programs with Intuit Inc., the makers of Quicken and TurboTax financial software. In his effort to "pave the tax lane of the information superhighway," Barr served as founding president of the Council for Electronic Revenue Communication Advancement. In this interview, Barr discusses the ETA's strategic plan for the delivery of electronic services to taxpayers and tax practitioners.

	Track 1
Barr explains how initiatives undertaken by the IRS' Electronic Tax Administration will change the way tax practitioners serve their clients.

	Track 2
Barr discusses the purpose of "A Strategy for Growth," the ETA's five-year strategic plan, and describes some of the ETA's proposed products and services.

	Track 3
Barr explains the six strategic goals outlined in the Electronic Tax Administration's plan. The ETA's primary goal is to electronically transact with 80 percent of taxpayers by 2007.

	Track 4
According to Barr, the Electronic Tax Administration has already made significant progress in achieving its strategic goals. Electronic filing of 1040s by tax practitioners is up 13 percent this year.

	Track 5
Barr discusses the importance of tax practitioners to the ETA's strategic plan. Key initiatives include marketing support and national advertising opportunities.

	Track 6
Barr explains some additional services planned by the ETA in support of tax practitioners, including a proposed extranet for preparers who offer IRS products and services.

	Track 7
According to Barr, the success of the ETA's plan rests on the agency's ability to overcome three basic challenges from taxpayers and practitioners: cost, simplicity and trust.

	Track 8
Barr advises accounting professionals to pursue education and training about the Internet, and to engage in providing electronic products and services.

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