The IRS is facing a critical staffing shortage that could impact your ability to get timely tax help. To make the issue even worse, proposed budget cuts may lead to the agency’s website experiencing bugs, downtime, and outdated information.
Why Is This Happening?
Significant budget reductions could shrink the IRS’s workforce from 97,000 to around 78,000. This includes a 60% cut to IT staff, the people responsible for ensuring that the IRS’s phone and computer systems remain operational. Additionally, the IRS projects its staff will only have the capacity to answer approximately 16% of taxpayer calls during next year’s tax season. This is a significant drop compared to this year, when 87% of calls were answered. The IRS plans to address this issue by hiring over 10,000 people to work in its call centers. However, the IRS has struggled to meet its hiring goals in recent years. So, it is unknown if they can meet their goal by tax season.
How Does This Affect You?
- Don’t be Surprised by Unanswered Calls. If the projections are correct, a mere 11% answer rate means you may need multiple attempts to reach someone to help resolve your issue.
- Prepare for Complex Issues. With a new President and Congress in power, expect major changes to the tax code. Taxpayers asking questions about these changes will likely overwhelm the understaffed IRS, especially during filing season.
- Plan Ahead for Website Downtime. With a significant reduction in the IRS’s IT team, expect the IRS website to experience more bugs and undergo more downtime for maintenance.
What Can You Do?
- Act Early. File your taxes and resolve any issues before tax season gets into full swing.
- Seek Professional Help. A tax professional can save you from the headache by helping you navigate through the issues.
- Document Everything. Keep records of all IRS interactions in case of disputes or follow-ups.
The IRS staffing crisis could make tax season tougher, but proactive steps can help. For expert guidance, contact Highland Tax Resolution so we can help make sure these problems do not affect you, your family, or your business.