Four Tips For Working With A Resource-Constrained Internal Revenue Service

Federal tax professionals working to resolve issues with the IRS can attest to the multifaceted impacts of the agency's resource constraints on taxpayer service. The signs are evident, for instance, in the long wait times for calls to be answered, tax return processing delays and increased instances of penalties being assessed against compliant taxpayers. Perhaps most frustratingly, IRS examinations that could have been resolved cooperatively with an adequately staffed agency have become unnecessarily prolonged and, in some cases, contentious.

The optimists among us see that the process of reform to address these issues has begun with a slow refunding of the IRS. However, it could take years of IRS hiring and training for the organization to manage the full scope of its responsibilities. What do we do while we wait?