The IRS does not always comply with prohibitions against directly contacting taxpayers when they have designated someone else to handle such contacts, an IG report has found.
In a sample of 75 disputes over the earned income tax credit in which the taxpayer had designated a representative, the IG found that in 18, “taxpayer rights were infringed upon because the IRS did not send notices and letters to authorized representatives as required by the Internal Revenue Manual.”
The portion of that manual covering such examinations further does not provide clear guidance on who the examiner should contact when a valid power of attorney is on file, it said.
The report added that the IRS has a process to handle the review and disposition of taxpayer allegations of direct contact violations but the results of the IG’s review of that process were redacted from the report.
Management agreed with all but one of the IG’s recommendations and designated timelines and officials responsible for carrying them out.
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