IRS Blames Budget Cuts for Smaller Workforce, Poorer Customer Service
If you had any less than desirable experiences with the IRS this year then you’re probably not alone. That’s because the top tax agency continues to be plagued by complaints of poor customer service and a general lack of assistance. According to the IRS there’s good reason for that. The agency says it cannot keep up with taxpayers needs due to the continuing budget cuts it has experienced over the last several years.
Because the IRS has less money to work with they have had to reduce their workforce and many people’s calls simply go unanswered. The IRS also continues to get a bad report card when it comes to customer service, because the agency can’t spend as much time training employees and they have a harder time retaining the employees they would like to keep. It all adds up to a lot of unhappy taxpayers and very few signs of encouragement.
It appears that unless the IRS gets a budget boost the problems will not only persist but they will likely get worse. Over the past six years, tax rolls have jumped by seven million new filers. Because of the surge, simply hiring temporary workers to help during the busy season doesn’t work anymore. That leaves taxpayers confused, frustrated and angry. People who need special help seem to be hurt the worst by all of this.
While the IRS continues to claim it needs more money in order to fix the problems, many Republican lawmakers are hesitant to raise the agency’s budget until the nation’s tax code is overhauled and simplified. In other words, the IRS could be waiting for a long time before they see an increase in their budget.
IRS Has Handed Out More Than $100 Billion in Refunds so far
As with every tax season there have been some mistakes that have caused problems for some taxpayers, as well as the usual battle with tax scams that pop up every year. However for the most part, the refund process has gone well to this point. In fact, at the end of February, the IRS reported…
There Is a Bright Side for Early Filers Victimized by Obamacare Gaffe
There’s been no shortage of complaints and problems with Obamacare since the nations new health care coverage law went into effect. In fact, the debate continues to rage on and another major decision from the U.S. Supreme Court is forthcoming in the months ahead. However, for the time being, Obamacare has been a problem for…
Should You Pay Estimated Taxes?
For most people tax time only comes once year. However, for anyone who has to pay estimated taxes a large tax bill could be due several times a year. Again, most people do not have to worry about paying estimated taxes, but there are several circumstances that will put you in that category. The most…
Do not Be the Victim of a Tax Scam
As the tax season continues to be in full swing we here at GROCO continue to hear of more and more tax scams making the rounds. We’ve discussed tax scams before, but it never hurts to repeat this important information, especially at this time of year when tax scammers are so prevalent. In fact, several…