- ORIGINAL NEWS
Victims of tax identity theft face ‘unconscionable’ IRS delays, taxpayer advocate finds
- SUMMARY
Tax identity theft victims currently face extremely long wait times for the IRS to process their returns and issue refunds, averaging about 19 months.
This is partially due to the IRS prioritizing other areas such as phone service, resulting in fewer resources dedicated to tax identity theft cases.
The report from the National Taxpayer Advocate highlights these delays as unacceptable and urges the IRS to take action to resolve the issue.
With a substantial increase in data breaches leading to more personal information available for identity theft, the coming tax season is expected to see an increase in impersonation attempts against taxpayers.
Adequate IRS resources are crucial for addressing these issues effectively, emphasizing the importance of ongoing funding negotiations in Congress.
Delays in tax refunds can cause financial hardship, especially for lower-income earners relying on the earned income tax credit.
- NEWS SENTIMENT CHECK
- Overall sentiment:
negative
Positive
“The IRS has boosted taxpayer service and technology with an infusion of funding.”
“Congress faces a looming government shutdown deadline, with negotiations for possible IRS funding cuts.”
Negative
“Tax identity theft victims are waiting roughly 19 months for the IRS to process returns and send refunds, according to the National Taxpayer Advocate.”
“During fiscal 2023, the IRS reassigned 572 workers to focus on telephone service.”