AICPA in discussions with IRS over tax season jitters

The American Institute of CPAs is monitoring the situation at the Internal Revenue Service amid reports of layoffs of up to half the staff, keeping in touch with IRS officials about maintaining services during the critical tax season.

“In recent weeks, there has been a flood of information regarding the current state of the IRS, some of which has resulted in conflicting reports, creating confusion,” said AICPA president and CEO Mark Koziel in a statement Friday. “The AICPA is having active discussions with IRS officials to clarify this information and we are actively monitoring developments as the IRS continues to assess the immediate and long-term implications. With the volatility of the present environment and rapidly changing events, it is important to reconcile fact from fiction for taxpayers and their advisors. Despite inconsistent reports, we know that the IRS is making every effort to maintain this tax season’s service levels comparable with that of recent years.”

He stressed the importance of the IRS maintaining service during tax season.

“The ability of the IRS to maintain service levels for taxpayers and their preparers is critically important to the AICPA,” Koziel added. “IRS services in combination with modernization efforts, which include technology advancements, have been the bedrock of AICPA’s recommendations for many years. A modern, functioning IRS is essential for Americans to meet their tax obligations and to our country’s financial health.”

The AICPA is also offering recommendations to the embattled agency. “The AICPA continues to provide recommendations to the IRS that will offer some level of relief as we work diligently to understand the impacts to services offered to taxpayers and their practitioners,” said Koziel. “We offer our voice and support to minimize public confusion about current IRS operations.”