Doing Even More With Relatively Less
April 2, 2020 | The Insider: White Collar Defense and Securities Enforcement
Over the past decade, the IRS suffered a series of deep budget cuts that, by 2018, left the agency with fewer agents conducting audits and criminal investigations than it had 20 years earlier. The budget cuts also resulted in fewer employees responding to taxpayer inquiries and fewer representatives in the Office of the Taxpayer Advocate helping taxpayers resolve issues with the IRS. Notwithstanding the severe budget cuts, Congress expected the IRS to maintain its civil and criminal enforcement programs, provide resources to the vast majority of taxpayers who strive to comply with their tax obligations and implement key provisions of the Affordable Care Act, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and the Taxpayer First Act. [...]