Taxpayer service hits new low at IRS as 'Obamacare' kicks in

[WestVirginiaRebel]

AP News:

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hello? Hello? Customer service at the IRS hit new lows this year, just as taxpayers were grappling with a wave of identity theft and new requirements under President Barack Obama's health law.

 

A report issued Wednesday by the National Taxpayer Advocate says the IRS has been hampered by years of budget cuts, which have diminished customer service and hobbled enforcement.

 

The timing of the budget cuts was bad, the report said.

 

The IRS blocked nearly 1.6 million suspicious tax refunds this year because of concerns about identity theft — more than double the number from a year ago. About a third of the refunds turned out to be legitimate, but for long stretches during the tax season, fewer than 10 percent of callers could get through to an IRS help line.

 

"For the majority of taxpayers who filed their returns and did not require IRS assistance, the filing season was generally successful," said the report by Nina E. Olson, the taxpayer advocate.

 

"For the segment of taxpayers who required help from the IRS, the filing season was by far the worst in memory," the report said. "To a significant degree, the IRS's shortcomings are budget-driven."

The taxpayer advocate is an independent office within the IRS.

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How low can they go? Do they even know?