House Passes Yakym’s Barcode Reform Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. –The bipartisan BARCODE Efficiency Act, co-led by Congressman Rudy Yakym and Congressman Brad Schneider, passed the U.S. House and now moves to the Senate.
The bill requires the IRS to adopt scanning technology to process paper tax returns faster, reduce errors, and cut costs. It also aims to speed up tax refunds and ease delays tied to manual data entry.
Yakym said the measure modernizes the tax system and makes it more efficient for both taxpayers and the IRS. He said it reduces unnecessary delays and improves how quickly returns are handled.
“The BARCODE Efficiency Act is a commonsense measure that modernizes our tax system,” Rep. Yakym said. “By requiring scanning technology, this bill will help reduce errors, speed up processing, and save time for both taxpayers and the IRS. It’s smart, efficient reform that strengthens service without adding unnecessary hoops.”
House Ways and Means leaders said the change would help address long-standing backlogs, especially during peak filing season when millions of paper returns still come in.
The legislation directs the IRS to use scanning tools for paper tax returns, handwritten forms, and mailed correspondence. That shift would allow staff to spend less time on data entry and more time on customer service and other priorities.
