If you've recently encountered issues with the IRS, such as tax inquiries, return problems, or receiving correspondence from them, you may have faced the frustrating challenge of getting in touch with an IRS representative. It seems that no matter when you call, you end up spending hours on hold only to be disconnected. Rest assured, you're not alone. While IRS call response times have never been ideal, they have worsened significantly since the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic in 2020.
Understanding the Issue with the IRS
In 2021, the IRS received an overwhelming volume of over 282 million calls. Shockingly, they were able to answer only 11% of those calls, as reported by CBS News. As the 2022 tax filing season approached, the IRS was burdened with a backlog of more than six million tax returns from the 2020 tax year and over five million pieces of taxpayer correspondence. Before the pandemic, the IRS typically took around 45 days to respond to correspondence. However, throughout 2021, this response time stretched to six months.
Improvements in IRS Response Times
The encouraging news is that there has been some improvement in taxpayer wait times over the past year. According to the IRS Taxpayer Advocate, by the end of October 2022, taxpayers had filed more than 164 million tax returns, and the IRS had issued nearly $345 billion in refunds. Although the IRS still had a similar number of pending tax returns compared to the same period in 2021, many taxpayers were still awaiting resolution as of November 2022. The IRS stated that it was handling mail within normal time frames and had processed all paper and electronic individual returns in the order received, provided they were received before April 2022 and had no errors or did not require further review.
What's the Next Step?
Regardless of the circumstances, it's crucial not to give up on addressing your tax questions. Ignoring payment or failing to respond to IRS correspondence could result in penalties, interest, federal tax liens, or asset levies. If you're facing challenges in resolving a tax problem, it's time to seek guidance from an experienced tax professional. Contact Assertive Tax Solutions to begin exploring your options and finding a solution.
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