Staffing Continues to Be a Major Problem for IRS, Watchdog Warns

Staffing shortages continue to hurt the IRS’s ability to enforce tax laws and assist taxpayers who need help, the agency’s watchdog said.

“Human capital remains a serious underlying issue,” the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration said in a memo released Oct. 18. Staffing reductions make it harder for the IRS to address its top challenges, including combating cyberattacks and implementing the 2017 tax law, the watchdog said.

• Between fiscal years 2014 and 2018, the IRS’s budget increased slightly from $11.2 billion to $11.4 billion, TIGTA said.
• “However, cost increases over this time period have resulted in ...