The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Whistleblower Office took a big step last month in making it easier and more efficient for people to report tax fraud and noncompliance by announcing the launch of a new digital Form 211, the Application for Award for Original Information. This move marks a significant milestone in the agency’s long-term efforts to modernize and revitalize the whistleblower program.
The New Digital Form 211 and How It Works
For the first time, whistleblowers can submit Form 211 electronically instead of relying solely on submitting the form by traditional mail. The digital form aims to reduce common hurdles such as mail delays, transcription errors, lost paperwork, or incomplete submissions. According to Acting Whistleblower Office Director Erick Martinez, “with the launch of the digital Form 211, whistleblowers can easily share what they know with the IRS from their phone or laptop.”
The new digital submission option aligns with the agency’s broader modernization goals and aims to improve the user experience for whistleblowers while helping the agency more quickly identify and act on valuable tips. While mail submissions will still be accepted, the IRS is encouraging the use of the online form for greater accuracy and speed.
How Digital Form 211 Fits Into the IRS 2025 Operating Plan
This digital update is not a standalone development — it is a part of the multi-year operating plan the IRS Whistleblower Office unveiled in April 2025. That plan laid out an integrated strategy to advance the whistleblower program, with an emphasis on efficiency, transparency, and outcomes. Key priorities from the operating plan include:
- Enhancing the whistleblower claim submission process;
- Using high-value whistleblower information more effectively;
- Awarding whistleblowers fairly and as soon as legally possible;
- Keeping whistleblowers informed about their claims;
- Protecting whistleblower and taxpayer data; and
- Bolstering the program’s workforce, tools, and technology.
According to the IRS, this strategic approach reflected feedback from practitioners, stakeholders, and whistleblowers themselves — a recognition that the program needed both operational reform and other changes to reach its full potential.
Why the IRS Whistleblower Program Modernization Matters
The IRS Whistleblower Program was created to play an important role in identifying hidden tax liabilities and deterring fraud. Whistleblower tips have helped the IRS collect over $7.5 billion in revenue, and the Whistleblower Office has paid out over $1.4 billion in awards to informants whose information resulted in actionable findings. But the process for submitting whistleblower tips to the agency has not always been easy or accessible. Historically, potential whistleblowers faced cumbersome paperwork requirements and long processing times — barriers that could dissuade even the most motivated individuals from coming forward.
The launch of the digital Form 211 may address some of those challenges. The rollout of the digital Form 211 is the first in what could be a series of improvements under the 2025 operating plan. As the IRS continues to implement its multi-year strategy, enhancements in communications with whistleblowers, improved case management systems, and better integration of data-driven tools to identify high-priority submissions may come to fruition. For whistleblowers, these changes would be welcome updates to the program.
Speak With an Experienced IRS Whistleblower Attorney
If you have information about possible tax evasion and would like to speak to an experienced whistleblower attorney, contact Phillips & Cohen for a confidential review of your matter.
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