IRS, ABA Join forces to Distribute
Tax Education CD-ROMs to 78,000 Schools

WASHINGTON - At the start of the summer job season, the Internal Revenue Service and the American Bar Association unveiled a nationwide effort Friday to help educate teenagers entering the work force about the federal tax system.

The IRS, in partnership with the Section of Taxation of the ABA, will distribute 78,000 CD-ROMs to high schools around the nation and U.S. embassy schools around the world. The CD-ROM provides a user-friendly approach to the workings of the tax system and offers tax tips for young workers.

The national effort was kicked off at a press conference in Washington featuring IRS Commissioner Charles O. Rossotti and Pamela Olson, ABA's Tax Section Chair-Elect. The event included a demonstration of the CD-ROM before a group of local high schools students.

"Understanding the tax system isn't easy, especially for young people in their first job who are encountering tax issues for the first time," Rossotti said. "This effort helps young people navigate the tax system by offering easy-to-digest information."

The CD-ROM offers a variety of features aimed at teenagers:

• a description of the federal tax system;
• tips for first-time wage earners;
• a dictionary of tax terms;
• an illustrated discussion of how tax dollars are spent; and
• a "toolkit" to help teachers integrate tax topics into their lesson plans.

"Students who are about to take on a summer job or enter the work force full time can turn to the CD-ROM for helpful information about their tax rights and responsibilities," said IRS Commissioner Charles O. Rossotti. "The IRS is pleased to partner with the ABA to produce and distribute this unique teaching tool."

The CD-ROMs take a fresh interactive approach to educating teens about the federal tax system. Over the next few weeks, they will be arriving at schools that do not yet have internet access.

The CD-ROMs are derived from another IRS, ABA joint educational venture: TAX Interactive (TAXi). The Web-based TAXi, which is available on the Internet at www.irs.gov/taxi, is an electronic learning laboratory for students who are transitioning into the workforce.

"The Taxi site provides valuable information to students about our tax system," said ABA?s Olson. The large number of schools without Internet access was the motivation for the CD-ROM project, she noted.

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