Aspects of the IRS’s pandemic response are making it nearly impossible to reach the agency by phone or mail, hampering individuals and tax advisers trying to resolve issues not covered by a recent enforcement freeze.
The agency has had to cut back operations significantly to protect employees from catching and spreading Covid-19. The changes have severely crippled the agency’s phone capabilities and forced closures or staff reductions at facilities across the country, including at centers used to process paper returns and forms.
This at a time when the IRS’s workload is larger then ever—not only is the agency in the ...