Budget cuts by Congress are resulting in the IRS having to end or limit services to taxpayers and a hiring freeze for the agency, according to a recently released report. Nina Olson, the national taxpayer advocate, recently released an annual report that describes the cuts in services that will result in more costs to taxpayers seeking assistance due to the ending of free programs that the IRS previously offered. Wait time for those who call the IRS this tax season is estimated to be up to 30 minutes for those able to connect with someone, but half of callers are expected to be unable to get through.
See Bloomberg News, Deteriorating IRS Service Causes Pain For Taxpayers, Report Says, Financial Advisor, Jan. 14, 2015.
Special thanks to Joel Dobris (Professor of Law, UC Davis School of Law) for bringing this article to my attention.
