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Policymakers should broaden the tax base by limiting tax preferences that do not efficiently achieve important policy goals.
User fees should directly relate to the services received. They should not unfairly burden people with low incomes or unduly limit access to public services.
Public assets should not be sold to raise revenue if the sale would sacrifice resources that serve important national and regional purposes.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the states should increase support for taxpayer assistance programs such as the Tax Counseling for the Elderly and the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program
The IRS and state revenue departments should increase their efforts to make tax forms—including electronic forms, publications, and correspondence—more accessible and understandable.
The government should simplify the recovery of money withheld each year and reduce the need for older individuals who do not owe income tax to file tax returns.
The IRS should continue encouraging taxpayers to file electronically but maintain the option of paper filing without penalty.
Enforcement measures should be applied equitably across income classes and types of taxpayers.
The IRS should increase its audit rate and raise penalties for noncompliance.
Public health officials and policymakers should recognize social isolation as a significant public health issue and social determinant of health.
Policymakers and the private sector should develop a standardized screening tool to identify individuals experiencing social isolation.