While the IRS met many of its goals as an organization in 2009, telephone access remained low and is getting lower and the agency stands to improve taxpayer service as well as enforcement, GAO has said.
Filing season is a huge undertaking. The IRS processed 139 million returns and issued $298 billion in refunds by October 2, 2009.
However, compared to 2005 through 2007, IRS reduced its goal for assistor answered calls in 2009 and set its 2010 goal at 71 percent, although the accuracy IRS responses to taxpayers’ questions remains high, according to GAO-10-225.
It said the IRS has begun a major data collection effort on why taxpayers call, but needs a plan to analyze the data and improve telephone service.
GAO called on the agency to integrate its taxpayer assistance blueprint – part of a five year plan for taxpayer assistance mandated by Congress in 2005 – in strategic planning documents.