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.
Impact’19: Dr. Linda Farley
About Dr. Linda Farley Linda E. Farley, Ed.D, joined Girl Scouts Heart of Central California (GSHCC) in 2013 as its Chief Executive Officer. A lifelong advocate for youth development, Linda holds a doctorate in leadership from the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul. She has dedicated her career to creating opportunities for young people to…
Impact’19: Tom Kandris
About Tom Kandris Tom Kandris is a regional business leader from Northern California, and a serial entrepreneur and investor. Kandris spent the first half of his career entrenched in the semiconductor industry where he held domestic and overseas senior executive and board-level roles in major American, Japanese and European corporations. In 2000, Kandris cofounded PackageOne,…
Impact’19: Michael Beaudoin II
About Michael Beaudoin II Michael invests in early stage companies, on behalf of Mark IV Capital. Previously, Michael created and operated AT&T’s Aspire Accelerator; and served as a Vice President at JPMorgan Chase and Deutsche Bank. Michael graduated with an MBA from Pepperdine and undergraduate from Ball State University. Bio Source: sched.com Interview Transcript of:…
Impact ’19: Jan Geldermacher
Jan Geldermacher is President of Sprint Business. He joined the company in August 2016 and reports to CEO Michel Combes. Transcript of Impact’19: Jan Geldermacher: Alan Olsen: I’m visiting here today with Jan Geldmacher. And Jan is currently the President of Sprint, Jan Geldmacher: Business, Alan Olsen: Sprint Business and telecommunications. And, and…