Back in the 1970s Saturday Night Live had this sketch of Lily Tomlin reprising her role as Ernestine the phone company operator (from Laugh-In):
That’s how I feel about calling the IRS. I have three matters I need to get resolved with the IRS. Today, the response I received when calling the IRS’s Practitioner Priority Service was, “Due to extremely high call volumes that option is not available now. Please try your call again later.” Well, I tried again later. And later. And later still. “We’re sorry, but due to extremely high call volumes that option is not available now. Please try your call again later.”
Meanwhile, we find out today that the IRS has deliberately cut customer service.
During the 2015 tax-filing season, the IRS provided what its own Commissioner described as “abysmal” customer service, blaming skyrocketing wait times for telephone and in-person assistance on agency budget cuts. The IRS even called budget cuts “a tax cut for tax cheats.” But a close review of the agency’s spending shows the IRS deliberately cut $134 million in funding for customer service to pay for other activities. Spending decisions entirely under the IRS’s control led to 16 million fewer taxpayers receiving IRS assistance this filling season. Other spending choices, including prioritizing employee bonuses and union activity on the taxpayer’s dime, used up resources that otherwise could have been used to assist another 10 million taxpayers.
The above quote is from the House Ways and Means Committee majority staff titled “Doing Less with Less: IRS’s Spending Decisions Harm Taxpayers.” There’s not much to add. If I can’t get through I’ll have to write follow-up letters; on one topic it will be my third letter without a response. On another, it’s been over one year without a response.
If anyone thinks the IRS’s budget will be increased for next year, they’re dreaming.
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