IRS

IRS Head Laments Growing Duties Amid Shrinking Workforce: 'We Do Get Outgunned'

The gap between what taxpayers owe and what they pay collectively each year has grown to nearly $1 trillion.

  • Eric Katz

GovExec Daily: What Feds Need to Know About Tax Season

Dallen Haws joins the podcast to discuss public servants' options for the upcoming filing season.

  • Ross Gianfortune and Adam Butler

GovExec Daily: How Will Feds Get Vaccinated?

Eric Katz joins the podcast to discuss the confusing messaging coming out of agencies.

  • Ross Gianfortune and Adam Butler

IRS is Ready to Distribute Stimulus Checks if Trump Approves Bill

President Trump threw lawmakers for a loop after he blasted a pandemic relief spending package as insufficient. The outcome is uncertain.

  • Courtney Bublé

GovExec Daily: Physical Cash and the Pandemic

Dr. Bill Maurer of University of California, Irvine joins the podcast to discuss what cashless payments look like, in light of the pandemic.

  • Ross Gianfortune and Adam Butler

The Most Common IRS Tax Forms You’re Likely to Come Across When Filing

For 2020, the tax deadline was extended to July 15. Here’s a guide to the most common tax forms and when they’re used — as well as other things to keep in mind when filing during COVID-19.

  • Kristen Doerer, ProPublica

Congress Can Shrink the Deficit by $63B by Boosting IRS Funding and Staffing

The tax agency has lost nearly half of its revenue officers since 2010.

  • Eric Katz

Analysis: Has the IRS Hit Bottom?

Every year, the IRS annual report is an opportunity to measure how effectively the U.S. government has sabotaged its own ability to enforce its tax laws. This year’s report signals historic lows for U.S. tax enforcement.

  • Paul Kiel, ProPublica

Senate Investigation Criticizes the IRS for Failing to Oversee Free Filing Program

Millions of Americans have spent billions on TurboTax and other tax prep that they shouldn’t have. The Senate’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations recommends the IRS advertise the free filing option.

  • Justin Elliott, ProPublica

IRS Is Letting Some of the Highest-Income Americans Get Away Without Paying Taxes

Hundreds of thousands of high-income Americans are not filing taxes with impunity, despite collectively owing $46 billion over three years.

  • Eric Katz

Thousands of IRS Employees Are Currently Home With Pay, But Not Working

Agency faces major logistical challenges after massive stimulus package, but union says tens of thousands of employees cannot work remotely.

  • Eric Katz

Questions Linger Over How the IRS Will Distribute Stimulus Checks

Former officials said the agency will face a challenge in getting the money to the right place quickly.

  • Courtney Bublé

Former IRS Executive Named Permanent National Taxpayer Advocate

The appointment comes at the height of the busy tax filing season.

  • Courtney Bublé
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IRS Chief Acknowledges Budget Constraints, But Says He Is Confident the Agency Can Handle Tax Season

Two advantages over last year are that the agency is not recovering from a shutdown or implementing a new tax law, former commissioners note.  

  • Courtney Bublé

Who’s Afraid of the IRS? Not Facebook.

The social media behemoth is about to face off with the tax agency in a rare trial to capture billions that the IRS thinks Facebook owes. But onerous budget cuts have hamstrung the agency’s ability to bring the case.

  • Paul Kiel

The IRS Decided to Get Tough Against Microsoft. Microsoft Got Tougher.

For years, the company has moved billions in profits to Puerto Rico to avoid taxes. When the IRS pushed it to pay, Microsoft protested that the agency wasn’t being nice. Then it aggressively fought back in court, lobbied Congress and changed the law.

  • Paul Kiel, ProPublica

IRS Reforms Free File Program, Drops Agreement Not to Compete With TurboTax

The changes come after ProPublica’s reporting showed how TurboTax maker Intuit tricked customers into paying for tax prep they could have gotten for free.

  • Justin Elliott and Paul Kiel, ProPublica

The IRS Tried to Hide Emails That Show Tax Industry Influence Over Free File Program

After ProPublica sued the IRS, the agency released emails that show it has allowed the tax preparation industry to write the rules.

  • Justin Elliott and Paul Kiel, ProPublica

Report: IRS Should Have an Official In Charge of Customer Experience

The agency could also improve its website and share more feedback, analysts conclude in first-of-its-kind report.

  • Courtney Bublé

Shutdown’s Damage to IRS Morale and Customer Service Will Linger, Study Finds

The appropriations lapse occurred during filing season, the agency’s busiest time of year, and will affect next year’s filing season as well. 

  • Courtney Bublé

Thousands of IRS Employees Are Working Outside Jobs That Risk Conflicts of Interest

In 2016, 167 employees had potentially prohibited second jobs and 2,196 were at high-risk for conflict of interest.

  • Courtney Bublé