For many years under the Obama administration, Republicans controlling Congress punished the Internal Revenue Service with budget cuts that resulted in horrible service for taxpayers.
Although some service was restored, the Trump administration now plans service cuts so severe that about 40 percent of calls from taxpayers seeking telephone assistance would go unanswered.
IRS acting commissioner David Kautter, more forthright than government officials often are with bad news, predicted a significant decline in telephone service next tax filing season under the budget submitted by his boss, President Trump.
Fortunately for taxpayers, now that Barack Obama is out of office, congressional Republicans are more inclined to fund better service. They penalized the IRS because of accusations the agency unfairly scrutinized conservative nonprofit organizations. But left-leaning organizations also were subjected to close scrutiny, according to a report by the Treasury inspector general for tax administration.
