A recent report from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) found that while the IRS reported high levels of phone service during tax season, those metrics don’t reflect the full taxpayer experience, especially outside peak months. Many calls went unanswered, and taxpayers who were passed through experienced extremely long wait times. 

Additionally, TIGTA found that the IRS cherry-picked selective data to downplay this persistent issue, misleading the public and further plummeting the agency’s already-dismal level of credibility. Despite recommendations to expand reporting for greater transparency, the agency declined, citing concerns about public confusion.  

This is just one of the latest examples of how the IRS continues to stand in the way of meaningful change and structural reform that would greatly improve taxpayer services. 

Read the full report here. 

If you, or someone you know, has experienced a specific IRS abuse and wish to flag the instance for potential inclusion in future Abuses of the Week, contact us with the details at: info@irsaccountability.org.