![]() One thousand assistors handled over 278,000 calls.ĭata for 2021 shows 25 days of activations to date which have used 200 representatives to handle almost 68,000 calls for Covid-related issues and the winter storms that affected Texas and other southern states. Despite the numbers, which included California having its worst wildfire season on record, the results of the FOIA request indicated that in 2020 IRS call centers were activated for FEMA use for 54 days and the only cause listed was Hurricane Laura. In other words, demand on IRS call center resources increased by an order of magnitude (maybe more) at the same time as a global pandemic and a host of natural disasters was putting demands on FEMA and its call centers.Īccording to the National Interagency Fire Center’s website over 22,000 wildfires burned over one million acres in 2020. ![]() Many (if not most) necessitated additional calls to IRS phone centers already jammed with calls concerning new tax law, economic impact payments, and countless other issues. Some addressed issues that had a response from the taxpayer or their representative sitting in a pile of unprocessed mail. The mail processing backlog caused millions of notices to be issued. Covid-related shutdowns also resulted in a huge and well-documented mail backlog that is only just now beginning to be cleared ( i.e., both opened and processed). Since the passage of the CARES Act in March of 2020 and continuing to the present the IRS, taxpayers, and tax practitioners have been bombarded with changes. To say that Covid-19 accelerated this trend is an understatement of epic proportions. WWE NXT Great American Bash Results: Winners And Grades On July 30, 2023īeginning with the passage of the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act (TCJA) in December of 2017, however, new tax law with immediate (and sometimes even retroactive) consequences has been being passed almost continuously. So while IRS phone centers were busy they weren’t necessarily abnormally busy. ![]() Sure, there were the usual packages of last minute (or occasionally retroactive) “extenders” such as renewable energy credits or the mortgage insurance deduction but, in general, changes to tax law were incremental or at least had a long lead time ( e.g., Obamacare). What’s different about these earlier periods, however, is that other than the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), which took effect beginning in 2010, not much was happening with respect to tax legislation. For the covered period 2,400 agents were reallocated and over 773,000 calls were answered at a cost per call of $57.94 (total cost $81 million). The longest period that IRS assistors were reallocated was 125 days in 2017 in response to Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria. Telephone assistors responded to over 336,000 calls during a 16-day activation period at a cost per call of $30.63 (total cost $10.3 million). The highest number of agents reallocated was 2,500 in 2012 in response to Superstorm Sandy and Hurricane Isaac. Possibly, although it seems unlikely, the call centers weren’t reallocated in the missing years. ![]() The report did not indicate why missing years were not included. Information on the cost, the number of days IRS call centers were activated for FEMA, the cost per call, the number of agents reallocated, the number of calls handled, and the reason for the activations were provided for the period from 2011 through 2021 (excluding 2013-20). From 2002 through 2009 (exclusive of 2006 which also was not included in the results) the only information provided was the cost of “IRS historical activations” and the reason for the activations (hurricanes and wildfires). ![]() Information for 19 was not included in the results. In 19 no information was available at all other than the fact that the IRS was activated and why (various hurricanes). The results of the request showed that not much information was available from 1998 through 2008. Sheeley received his response on J(a year and a half later for readers who don’t want to do the math). ![]()
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