It was with fear and trepidation I logged onto IRS eServices this morning. This is the portal that allows me to download transcripts for clients from the IRS (when I have an authorization). On September 16th, I had electronically uploaded a Power of Attorney for a client. It’s been taking the IRS months to process them. However, this morning I was able to download transcripts for that client! It’s not that a three-week processing time is great; rather, compared to what we’ve been dealing with the CAF unit does appear to be making progress on the backlog.
However, with every step forward there’s a step backwards. A different client received a CP2000 automated underreporting unit (AUR) notice. We disputed that, and sent a letter to the IRS explaining why the IRS is wrong. A month ago we received the usual “We need another 90 days to get to your response” from the IRS. In yesterday’s mail that client received a Notice of Deficiency. The IRS had not even gotten to the response we sent in! If anyone is wondering why the Tax Court docket has ballooned, here is Exhibit A. Indeed, if the IRS doesn’t reply to the response we sent in the next two months there will be yet another case in their docket (the AUR notice is clearly wrong).