We have been following very closely how the IRS is adding new agents as part of its plan to boost enforcement and to increase tax collections. The IRS has just announced that the first 4,000 new agents have now completed their training and are on the job, and another 1,000 employees will be on the job by the end of the year and in time for the 2023 tax filing season.
The Internal Revenue Service has announced that this is significant progress to prepare for the 2023 tax filing season. The new agents are being called customer service representatives and “will help answer phones and provide other services.” It’s the other services that should alarm you.
Yes, these new agents will be answering phone questions, but they will also be giving you the IRS line on how to resolve your IRS debt. They will be looking out for the IRS — not necessarily for you.
This is why we urge you to always talk to a tax professional first to understand your situation even if you decide to deal with the IRS directly.
“The IRS is fully committed to providing the best service possible, and we are moving quickly to use new funding to help taxpayers during the busy tax season,” said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. “Our phone lines have been simply overwhelmed during the pandemic, and we have been unable to provide the help that IRS employees want to give and that the nation’s taxpayers deserve. But help is on the way for taxpayers. As the newly hired employees are trained and move online in 2023, we will have more assistors on the phone than any time in recent history.”
THE IRS WANTS TO BOOST COMPLIANCE AND TAX REVENUE
The IRS is promising better customer service in 2023. But along with that customer service the IRS will be doing more to collect revenue and to boost compliance. More representatives on the phones will free up auditors to go after taxpayers who owe money or whose returns have red flags for audits.
Many employees will be in place for the start of the 2023 tax season, and others will join as their training is completed in the following weeks. Almost all of their training will be completed by Presidents Day 2023; traditionally the period when the IRS sees the highest phone volumes. The IRS anticipates phones will be answered at a much higher level during the 2023 filing season.
THERE ARE STILL ABOUT 6-MILLION INDIVIDUAL RETURNS IN THE BACKLOG
The IRS recently reported that there are still about 6-million individual tax returns that are still in the backlog that started with the pandemic shutdowns. It could take months for these returns to be processed. This is why many taxpayers are waiting for refunds. It’s also why some people who are due for an audit have not received audit notices yet. But as new hires are trained, the backlog of unprocessed returns will be cleared and new audit notices will go out.
“Even though we have new hires in the pipeline, our phone lines remain extremely busy,” IRS Commissioner Rettig said.
In addition to the phone assistors, the IRS is also working to hire additional people throughout the agency, not just in taxpayer service areas but in Information Technology and compliance positions. Compliance officers are the ones who try to collect money from you.
WHAT’S THE BOTTOM LINE FOR YOU
The bottom line for you is that the day is rapidly approaching when there won’t be a backlog at the IRS and audit notices will flow freely and taxpayers owing money will be pressured to pay up.
THERE IS A WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY NOW
We think there is a window of opportunity now to clear up your tax debt problems on favorable terms. We think the IRS wants to clear up as many cases as possible while it is understaffed.
But we think this window of opportunity is closing as more of these new employees are hired and trained. We we urge you to call us now to discuss your tax issues and listen to the options that are available to you to resolve your tax debt.
RESOLVE YOUR TAX PROBLEMS NOW
We offer a free consultation about your tax issues and the options that are available to you to resolve your tax debt and other issues. We can discuss with you the IRS Fresh Start Initiative and the IRS Offer In Compromise Program. We can also discuss with you how you got into your problems because there may be other ways to resolve your tax issues. For example, you may be eligible for Innocent Spouse Relief, or your tax issues can be resolved simply by filing tax returns you didn’t file. You might discover you are due a refund by filing certain tax returns you didn’t file.
CALL FOR A FREE CONSULTATION
I’d be happy to discuss with you a plan of action. You can call me directly at my private number 949-570-9908 and I can help you decide who you should talk to next. It’s a free consultation. We have tax attorneys, CPAs and Enrolled Agents who can review your case and present your options to you. The options include payment plans with the IRS as well as the IRS Fresh Start Initiative and the IRS Offer In Compromise Program. Watch my video below.
Again, my direct line is 949-570-9908 and please call me. You have nothing to lose with this free consultation.