THIS TAX SEASON, theIRS has a significant backlog of tax returns, causing the National Taxpayer Advocate to call the agency “in crisis.” However, the IRS now claims to have a plan in place to clear its massive backlog of 7.2 million filings: This month, hire 5,000 people with no prior tax experience.
ON THURSDAY, the IRS said that job fairs would be held in its processing centers in Austin, Texas, Kansas City, Missouri, and Ogden, Utah, on March 16, 23, and 30. According to the firm, job offers will be made on the spot.
The Wage and Investment Division is in charge of executing taxpayer filings and payments and updating filers on the progress of their returns.
The IRS is aiming to launch a massive hiring drive at a time when the labor market is exceptionally competitive, with a national pool of 11.3 million unfilled positions. Workers are also participating in the “Great Resignation,” with many leaving their employment in search of better income and possibilities.
The IRS may find it difficult to recruit employees solely on the basis of pay: Federal employees are entitled to a minimum salary of $15 per hour. The IRS is offering annual pay rates ranging from around $23,000 to around $47,000.
In a period when employers are increasing wages to entice job prospects, the agency may discover that competition in the industry is strong.
According to the IRS, applicants could anticipate starting working for the IRS between 30 to 45 days of receiving an offer.
In 2023, Another 5,000 People Will Be Hired
According to the IRS, in 2023, the IRS wants to recruit another 5,000 employees.
Since the IRS employed around 82,000 people in the fiscal year 2021, a 10,000-person increase in just two years would be a major boost to the agency’s employment. In addition, it might potentially bring the agency’s workforce back to around 94,000 personnel, as it was in 2010.
Separately, the IRS announced that it has begun using voice and chatbots on two of its toll-free telephone service lines, as well as on IRS.gov, to help taxpayers get answers more quickly. Last season, only one out of every ten phone calls was answered by an IRS official, causing frustration among taxpayers seeking information about their return delays.
According to the IRS, the bots can address queries concerning one-time payments, provide answers to frequently asked questions, and clarify collection notifications.
Later this year, the speech bots will tackle more complex concerns, such as validating a user’s identification to create a payment plan, requesting a transcript, and getting account information, according to the agency.
