Faucher Law recently hired a terrific, new Administrative Assistant. Zoe came up to me the other day and asked “John! Have you seen the IRS’ Instagram account?! And it’s quite good.” Um, no. I didn’t even know the IRS had an Instagram account. Heck, I don’t have an Instagram account – why would I know about anyone else’s? Except, of course, my Feline Paralegal Sebastian, who apparently reports on all the goings-on at Faucher Law on his Instagram account, something I’m not entirely comfortable with. But, back to the IRS: I asked Zoe to tell us what she thought about the IRS’ Instagram account. Here’s her take:
Zoe Carlson’s Review of the IRS’ Instagram Account
I’m Faucher Law’s newest, twenty-something Administrative Assistant. I help John’s clients with their questions and paperwork. When I told John about the IRS’ Instagram account he asked me to highlight the biggest surprises
1. The *IRS* HAS An Instagram Account?!
In 2024, most organizations MUST have social media, especially if they want to connect to us youngsters. Social media has become vital for disseminating and receiving information. Having an Instagram account is a smart move on the IRS’ part, since it is a way to engage with younger age groups and those of us who are just starting to learn about filing taxes and how to deal with tax audits, if they occur.
2. The IRS’ Instagram Account is Verified
To become verified and get that blue check mark next to their name on Instagram, the IRS had to prove its identity to the Identity Police at Instagram. How funny. First, the big, scary, powerful IRS had to grovel: “Hey Instagram, I am actually they IRS and not some guy trying to scam people.” I wonder what this process looked like – think Instagram “audited” the IRS’ application for approval? Second, the IRS felt the need to get verified. Don’t get me wrong, I am not going to trust a Instagram page saying it’s the IRS without the verification, but this surely says something about the number of scams out there impersonating the IRS.
3. The IRS’ Instagram Account is Funny
Whoever is running the IRS’ Instagram account has a great sense of humor, and they’re really up-to-date on trends. For example, a recent post included an adaptation of “Mean Girls” Burn Book made into a tax records book. Clever idea! The caption includes references made in the movie and it is incorporated effortlessly.
4. The IRS’ Instagram Account Links Conveniently to the IRS Website
The IRS’ Instagram Account includes a link to the IRS bio that lets you click a post and then leads to corresponding website pages for additional information. I guess this isn’t the most shocking thing, but I can only imagine the time it takes to set that up. IRS is really doing well in directing people to their website.
5. The IRS’ Instagram Account Has Relatively Few Followers (Probably Not a Surprise!)
Taxes are the great equalizer. Everyone pays them and no one can avoid them, yet the agency that handles it only has 150k Instagram followers. To put that in perspective, Taylor Swift has 279 million Instagram followers. That may not be the most fair comparison, given how white-hot famous and influential Swift’s been this past year, so how about using her BF, Kansas City football player, Travis Kelce as a comparison? Kelce has 5.5 million Instagram followers. I get it: the IRS is hardly a social media darling, or an escapist adventure. But, it’s a good resource, so maybe we should all use it more?
February 29, 2024