IRS customer service has improved dramatically in recent years. Cuts to the IRS workforce and budget will erase all improvement and explode the deficit.
Washington, D.C.– Kelly Reyes, Executive Director of the Professional Managers Association (PMA)–formed in 1981 by Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Managers as a national membership association representing the interests of professional managers, management officials and non-bargaining unit employees in the federal government and within the IRS–issued the following statement in response to proposed congressional IRS budget cuts, reported plans to cut half the IRS workforce this year, and implications for the current 2025 tax filing season:
“PMA and all IRS employees are proud of the tremendous progress made in recent years to improve customer service, modernize our systems, rebuild our workforce capacity, and deliver on the IRS’ mission to the nation.”
“All of this progress is currently being thrown out the window by President Trump, Elon Musk’s DOGE, and the majority in Congress, whose actions will guarantee that taxpayers, businesses, and tax professionals who require assistance with their taxes this year will have a significantly more challenging time getting help they need.”
“Taxpayers with simple filings and returns should expect a smooth experience with the IRS this filing season, with quick returns. But those with tax issues, who have overpaid, or underpaid, will wait months or longer to receive the customer service they deserve and are entitled to. The simple reality is all functions of the IRS intended to provide support for taxpayers, businesses, and tax professionals, are being gutted.”
“IRS managers and employees are not being consulted or included in plans for the agency and are working to maintain operations under challenging and uncertain conditions. When members of the public are unable to receive the assistance they need from the IRS this year, their concerns should be directed to their elected decision-makers in Washington, D.C. Reductions in the IRS workforce and capacity will undermine the agency’s ability to effectively serve taxpayers, and may create challenges for honest, hardworking individuals who fulfill their tax obligations.”
“The nation’s tax gap is over $750 billion dollars annually, fast approaching $1 trillion. These are revenues due to the United States government under law, that are not collected because of limitations placed on the IRS. With so many policymakers concerned about the national debt and deficit, crippling the government’s revenue collection agency is an unjustifiable position, as many former IRS Commissioners have written.”
“If Congress intends to simplify the tax code and streamline the IRS, it should do so in a deliberate and well-planned manner. However, reducing the agency’s workforce and resources without adjusting its legal mandates may lead to increased confusion, inefficiencies, and challenges in providing quality customer service. If taxpayers experience delays and frustrations in seeking assistance this year, lawmakers will need to assess how policy decisions have impacted the agency’s ability to fulfill its responsibilities.”
