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.

Posted in

Do You Owe Money To The IRS?

The vast majority of Americans get a tax refund from the IRS each spring, but what do you do if you are one of those who have received a tax bill? What do you do if you owe money to the IRS and can’t pay? The IRS encourages you to pay the full amount of…

How Some Big Companies Are Maximizing Their Tax Benefit

How Some Big Companies Are Maximizing Their Tax Benefit

How Some Big Companies Are Maximizing Their Tax Benefit There’s no question that the IRS is always looking for ways to get every penny they can from the nation’s taxpayers, whether they be individuals or businesses. On the other hand, many are also doing whatever they can to pay as little as possible, some, even…

Federal Government Still Facing Huge Deficit

Federal Government Still Facing Huge Deficit

Federal Government Still Facing Huge Deficit Does it seem like no matter how much money the federal government collects in tax revenue, they will still never have enough? For a lot of people the, answer is a resounding “yes.” The country’s Monthly Treasury Statement lends even more credence to that belief.  What does the Treasury…

The IRS is Not a Bully – You can poke a bully in the nose.

The IRS is Not a Bully You can poke a bully in the nose. This is the third installment of “The IRS is Not a Bully” series, identifying taxpayer concerns and the difficult position in which Congress puts the IRS. Namely, applying ever increasing pressure to operate in ways its founders never intended, until it’s…