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
President Trump Signs CARES ACT

President Trump Signs CARES ACT, What Does this Mean?

Fremont California, March 27, 2020 – President Trump Signs CARES ACT. As COVID-19 continues to threaten almost every aspect of our lives, our government has expedited passing legislation and President Trump has signed, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) ACT.  The CARES ACT is a massive bill, the majority of which does not…

The AICPA urges IRS to provide payment relief due to COVID-19

The AICPA urges IRS to provide payment relief due to COVID-19

The AICPA on Thursday urged Treasury and the IRS to provide broader tax filing and payment relief for taxpayers affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In a letter to Treasury Assistant Secretary for Tax Policy David J. Kautter and IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig from Christopher Hesse, CPA, chair of the AICPA Tax Executive Committee, the AICPA…

coronavirus

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Tax Information Summary

Coronavirus Tax Information Please note: clients will need to work extensively with their payroll tax service provider, and their Human Resource professional as this all gets complex. I assume information of how to compute and input amounts on the related forms will be provided in detail in the coming weeks. Congress is working on another…

Alan Olsen, CPA COVID-19 Center

COVID-19 Resource Center

MESSAGE FROM MANAGING PARTNER ALAN OLSEN Greenstein, Rogoff, Olsen & Co., LLP (GROCO) CPAs & Advisors remains committed to serving our clients. We hope this email finds you and your family well and in good health. If the COVID‐19 virus is affecting you or a loved one, we wish you and yours a speedy and…