90%

[jon-nyc]

The IRS is answering 90% of its phone calls, up from 13% last year.

Because 5k people hired under the IRA.

During the opening stretch of tax season, the Internal Revenue Service is answering nearly 90 percent of taxpayers’ phone calls, a dramatic improvement that officials say is linked to an agency funding boost included in the landmark Inflation Reduction Act.
The IRS answered 88.6 percent of its phone calls, a Treasury Department official told The Washington Post on Friday, up from the 13 percent of calls answered during the 2022 tax season and 11 percent the year before.
Factoring in callers who reached automated phone and chat support, 93.3 percent of taxpayers were able to reach IRS resources since the start of tax filing season Jan. 23, through Feb. 4. The treasury official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the internal data.
The Inflation Reduction Act, President Biden and congressional Democrats’ climate, health-care and tax law, provided the IRS $80 billion over 10 years to improve taxpayer services and tax enforcement for high income earners and corporations.
The tax agency hired 5,000 workers to staff the phones based on funding from that law, the official said, and made improvements to technology capabilities.

[Horace]

Great, how much is that increase in phone consultations costing taxpayers?

Maybe the people who get through, end up paying more taxes. So the new agents pay for themselves.

[jon-nyc]

@Horace

The new agents will more than pay for themselves in toto, though clearly some, like these, are pure expense.

[LuFins Dad]

And every answered call gets a nice flag on their account! Hooray!

[Copper]

Sing Along!

Link to video

Wrong thread again!

[LuFins Dad]

@Copper said in 90%:

Sing Along!

Link to video

Going to Disney this year?

[jon-nyc]

@LuFins-Dad said in 90%:

And every answered call gets a nice flag on their account! Hooray!

They’ve said the audit rate for people making <400k will remain unchanged. My guess is few people making over that are calling the IRS.

[Jolly]

Not that the government would lie, or anything,,,

[LuFins Dad]

@jon-nyc said in 90%:

@LuFins-Dad said in 90%:

And every answered call gets a nice flag on their account! Hooray!

They’ve said the audit rate for people making <400k will remain unchanged. My guess is few people making over that are calling the IRS.

That’s why everyone receiving over $600 from Venmo will receive a 1099…

[George K]

@LuFins-Dad said in 90%:

That’s why everyone receiving over $600 from Venmo will receive a 1099…

Speaking of which, ebay will be sending out 1099s as well. However, my understanding is that for infrequent or one-of sales that income is not reportable.

[89th]

I often think of this humor come tax season:

Government: You owe us money. It’s called taxes.

Me: How much do I owe?

Gov’t: You have to figure that out.

Me: I just pay what I want?

Gov’t: Oh, no we know exactly how much you owe. But you have to guess that number too.

Me: What if I get it wrong?

Gov’t: You go to prison

[jon-nyc]

It’s a good joke, but sort of unfair. Treasury has been trying for years to have the form pre-filled online for the vast majority of taxpayers but Congress blocks it every time, having been purchased by Intuit and H&R Block.

[jon-nyc]

@LuFins-Dad said in 90%:

@jon-nyc said in 90%:

@LuFins-Dad said in 90%:

And every answered call gets a nice flag on their account! Hooray!

They’ve said the audit rate for people making <400k will remain unchanged. My guess is few people making over that are calling the IRS.

That’s why everyone receiving over $600 from Venmo will receive a 1099…

No, that’s not why and probably won’t lead to many audits. That change predates the IRA by over a year.

Also, if you’ve ever missed an income source like a 1099-int or a 1099, the IRS just sends a notice and a bill based on its calcs, with instructions on what to do if you disagree. So I can’t see it leading to a bunch of audits.

[Jolly]

Link to video