The IRS increased collections for the third straight year despite having fewer employees, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration has said.
In an annual report on IRS compliance trends, TIGTA noted that the agency conducted fewer examinations, and its Collection Function continued to receive more delinquent accounts than it closed.
The increase in enforcement revenue to $2.9 trillion was due in part to several large appeal case settlements, the IG said.
It said the agency’s appropriated budget decreased 7.4 percent between fiscal 2010 and 2013, from $12.1 billion to $11.2 billion after sequestration, while the number of full-time equivalents dropped by nearly 9 percent, from 94,618 at the end of fiscal 2010 to 86,310 at the end of fiscal 2013.
The number of enforcement personnel decreased by more than 1,000 during fiscal 2013, and in fiscal 2013 the collection function activities showed mixed results, with the amount collected on delinquent accounts by both the automated collection system and field collection decreasing, according to TIGTA.
