Due to decades of insufficient resources and the monumental backlog of work created by the COVID-19 pandemic, the APA urged the U.S. Senate to move quickly on a funding measure for the IRS. Providing the IRS with more predictable support to modernize, hire, and train new staff, as well as work with stakeholders to improve processes and procedures, is vitally important to payroll professionals who are directly responsible for withholding approximately 70% of the annual revenue collected by the IRS.
Modernization and Hiring Needed
In an April 7 statement, IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig announced that year after year budget decreases have resulted in the IRS having staffing levels falling near that of 1974, which is far short of the workforce needed. Additional funding would allow the IRS to hire and train employees, which are necessary for the agency to function.
As technology advances, it is in both the IRS’s and employer’s best interest for archaic processing systems to be phased out. Improved electronic communication systems with the IRS provide an advantage over manual filing of returns, and a well-designed infrastructure that prevents cyberattacks requires resources both in technology and human capital, APA said.
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Mike Linehan is the Assistant Manager of Government Relations for the APA.