Today marks the start of the long and grueling road ahead for CPAs and enrolled agents as the IRS has begun accepting 2023 federal income tax returns. So with that in mind, IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel had a message for all tax professionals as they embark on another filing season: Thank you.

The message, which was emailed this morning to tax professionals and was posted on the IRS’s website, says:

As we start the 2024 filing season today, I just wanted to take a moment to especially thank everyone in the nation’s tax professional community. The work you do to help taxpayers is a vital part of our nation’s tax system, and your efforts make a difference, not just for your clients, but for the IRS and the entire nation.

Tax professionals are a critical link between the IRS and the taxpaying public. That’s especially true considering the majority of people use a tax professional to help them with their taxes. We appreciate the important role you play helping your clients fulfill their tax obligations, and in doing so you help ensure the integrity of our tax system.

At the IRS, we cannot say this enough. The work done by you, and other tax professionals like you, is absolutely essential to taxpayers and tax administration. You have challenging jobs, between managing clients, navigating business issues and dealing with the latest tax law changes. You perform a public service for the nation, and the employees of the IRS greatly appreciate your hard work and continued dedication.

Please know that at the IRS, as we work to transform the agency, we will continue our efforts to improve service to tax professionals with the goal of providing a much better experience when you interact with the agency, to make it easier for you to help your clients fulfill their tax obligations.

So as I open my first tax filing season as IRS Commissioner, I want you to know I deeply appreciate all your efforts, and I wish you a smooth and successful tax season in all the work you do for taxpayers.

– Danny Werfel