Legislation that would require the IRS to use scanning technology to speed up paper return processing has passed the U.S. House of Representatives.
The legislation, Barcode Automation for Revenue Collection to Organize Disbursement and Enhance (BARCODE) Efficiency Act (H.R. 6956), sponsored by U.S. Reps. Rudy Yakym (R-IN) and Brad Schneider (D-IL) now advances to the Senate.
“The BARCODE Efficiency Act is a commonsense measure that modernizes our tax system,” 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.”
Currently, the U.S. Treasury Department can set standards for machine-readable tax forms, but current laws prevent it from requiring individuals, estates, and trusts to file returns in any format other than paper. Since launching electronic filing nationwide in 1990, e-filing taxes have grown to 155 million returns in 2025. Even so, the law makers’ offices said, millions of Americans still file on paper, including about 10.5 million paper returns last year. According to the Taxpayer Advocate Service’s latest report, paper returns, and correspondence continue to face processing delays, largely because of manual data entry. The report urges the IRS to modernize how it handles paper submissions.
The BARCODE Efficiency Act would require the IRS to acquire scanning technology to process tax returns prepared electronically, as well as handwritten returns and paper correspondence. The Congressmen said the changes in their legislation would speed up processing, reduce errors, cut backlogs, and free IRS staff to focus on more critical needs.