The bill requires the IRS to acquire the technology to speed up paper return processing that will save taxpayer dollars and deliver refunds faster.
Require the IRS to adopt scanning technology and scannable barcodes for paper returns to speed processing, reduce errors, and deliver refunds faster.
Occurrences
To require electronically prepared tax returns to include scannable code when submitted on paper, and to require the use of optical character recognition technology for paper documents received by the Internal Revenue Service.
Evidence
The bipartisan Barcode Automation for Revenue Collection to Organize Disbursement and Enhance (BARCODE) Efficiency Act (H.R. 6956), led by Congressman Rudy Yakym and Congressman Brad Schneider, passed out of the Ways and Means Committee. The office says the bill would require scannable barcodes and direct the IRS to use scanning technology to transcribe handwritten returns and paper correspondence, speeding paper return processing and reducing errors.
GovInfo shows H.R. 6956, the BARCODE Efficiency Act, as engrossed in the House, with a last action date of April 27, 2026. The bill title and description state it would require electronically prepared tax returns to include a scannable code when submitted on paper, and require optical character recognition technology for paper documents received by the IRS.
The Congressional Record for April 27, 2026 includes consideration of the barcode bill and notes language about requiring a scannable code on electronically prepared returns submitted on paper and directing the IRS to adopt barcode scanning/processing for paper returns.
The IRS said it is already 'adopting new technology that automates the scanning of millions of paper returns' and that digitizing paper returns will eliminate errors from manual input, speed processing, reduce storage costs, and expedite taxpayer refunds by several weeks.
The National Taxpayer Advocate said the IRS Commissioner credited advocacy pushing the IRS to use scanning technology to eliminate paper tax return processing challenges, and that the Taxpayer Advocate had directed IRS implementation of scanning technology for the 2023 filing season.
Assessments
Yakym materially advanced the exact promised policy by leading H.R. 6956, the BARCODE Efficiency Act, and the bill progressed through committee and the House in 2026. That shows substantial action on requiring barcodes and IRS scanning technology. However, the evidence provided does not show final enactment into law or definitive IRS adoption of these specific statutory requirements attributable to Yakym. Separate IRS administrative scanning efforts indicate movement toward the policy goal, but those efforts appear broader and not clearly the direct result of his bill. Because the promise has been advanced and partly reflected in agency practice but not fully delivered as a completed, attributable outcome, partial credit is the best fit.