In a very interesting report published by the Federal Advocate for Taxpayers, there are some serious accusations that the Internal Revenue Service may not be able to respond adequately — or at all — to a majority of taxpayers this tax season. It’s fairly startling in many regards, but remember, these are only predictions so hopefully the IRS gets organized and prepared for April 15.
The report also points out some very serious issues, such as the lack of oversight at the IRS which has led to the deterioration of respect the IRS has for taxpayer’s rights. The report also continuously mentions the slide and downward trend of the tax agency when it comes to communicating with taxpayers, and how this is shaping the tax landscape in a wholly negative way.
Whether any of these dire predictions come true is yet to be seen, but what is not in question is that there will be many inquests made by taxpayers in the coming months, and the IRS simply isn’t going to get to all of them. Whether it’s less than half or something miraculous (like 99 percent) is irrelevant: because some people will get lost in the shuffle.
When a taxpayer is lost in the shuffle and he or she has a serious tax issue that needs to be handled, the lack of a response from the IRS can leave the taxpayer in a vulnerable situation. They may not know what to do, and they may be subject to penalties that they aren’t even aware of. Anyone in this situation needs to consult with an experienced tax attorney to ensure this lack of a response negatively affects them.
Source: IRS, “National Taxpayer Advocate Delivers Annual Report to Congress; Focuses on Taxpayer Service and Taxpayer Bill of Rights,” Jan. 14, 2015
