Taxpayer Advocate Struggles

[Lee B]

Copied from the TIGTA Report

"FY 2023, cases worked by TAS generally met its acceptance criteria and taxpayers’ issues were fully addressed. However, we found TAS case advocates did not timely contact taxpayers or their representatives in 103 (63%) of the 163 closed cases we sampled. The initial and subsequent contact delays for these cases totaled an average of 146 calendar days late."

"The National Taxpayer Advocate stated that TAS case advocacy is facing three challenges: rising case volume, new staff, and outdated systems."

Well, this is really discouraging

 

[Gail in Virginia]

1 hour ago, Lee B said:

 

Well, this is really discouraging

 

But not unexpected or surprising. 

[TexTaxToo]

It's sure not going to get any better.  From the TA Mid-year report to Congress

Quote

Between the start of the 2025 filing season and June, the IRS workforce decreased from about 102,000 employees to fewer than 76,000, a drop of about 26 percent (after taking into account employees who accepted an early resignation offer but will remain on rolls through September 30). 

As of June, IT staffing has been reduced by 27 percent and Taxpayer Services staffing has been reduced by about 22 percent, or by more than 9,000 employees.

The TAS itself has been reduced by 25 percent.

BTW, my understanding is that those who took the offer are actually leaving at the end of this month, though they will "remain on rolls" and get paid through Sept. 30.

 

[Sara EA]

Umm, I thought the purpose of all this was to eliminate waste.  Isn't paying people not to work somewhat wasteful? Just a short time ago we were elated that IRS finally got funding to increase staff so phone wait and processing times would decrease and audits would increase in areas we knew needed auditing.  TAS was the place we went to when all else failed.  Taxpayers are really going to feel this.  They won't be able to get questions answered or problems solved, all the while knowing that others are cheating and getting away with it.

[Corduroy Frog]

And the burden of TAS failures and IRS administrative bungling falls upon the taxpayer.