Public Satisfaction with IRS Drops to 74%

[LPC]

A contrast to the "jackbooted thugs" perspective (emphasis added):

(December 8, 2014) Almost nine out of 10 taxpayers say it is not at all acceptable to cheat on their income taxes, according to the IRS Oversight Board 2014 Taxpayer Attitude Survey; unchanged since last year’s survey. Ninety-four percent agree that it is every American’s civic duty to pay their fair share of income taxes.

The survey also found that a solid majority of taxpayers – 61 percent – trust the IRS to fairly enforce the tax laws. Trust in enforcement is noticeably higher – 73 percent – among younger age groups (ages 18 to 24) as compared to those 65 years and older who registered a 56 percent level.

Taxpayer satisfaction with their personal interaction with the IRS dropped in 2014 to 74%; while still a large majority, this is the lowest level of satisfaction with the IRS ever recorded in the Board’s survey. In the view of the Board, this drop likely reflects the impact of significant cuts in walk-in office services, coupled with a continuing low level of service on IRS’ toll-free assistance lines—all of which tie to insufficient funding for the IRS.
The survey found that a majority of taxpayers – 61 percent – expressed support for providing the IRS extra funding to assist more taxpayers over the phone and in person. Fifty-six percent support IRS extra funding to enforce the tax laws.

“There are a number of takeaways from the latest IRS Oversight Board 2014 Taxpayer Attitude Survey,” said Board Chairman Paul Cherecwich, Jr. “First, in spite of all the controversy over the past few years, there is still no tolerance for tax cheating. More than nine out ten taxpayers cite personal integrity as the greatest influence on whether they honestly report and pay their taxes. This goes to the heart of our federal tax system, which is based on voluntary compliance.”

“Second, although the IRS still has a way to go to regain the public’s trust, the survey suggests that most taxpayers, especially younger ones, trust the IRS to enforce the tax laws.”

“This brings me to my third and last point,” the Chair said. “Taxpayer satisfaction with IRS customer service has fallen to its lowest level in more than a decade. The Board believes this can be directly tied to deep cuts in IRS funding which have served only to punish honest America’s taxpayers who must endure long wait times over the IRS toll-free telephone lines and at walk-in centers. Taxpayers understand what’s going on – a solid majority supports extra funding for IRS customer service. However, Congress is turning back the clock on the significant gains made in customer service since the passage of the IRS Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998. It is time to reinvest in the IRS to help honest taxpayers comply with a complex tax code and to protect the integrity of our tax system.”

The complete IRS Oversight Board 2014 Taxpayer Attitude Survey can be found at http://www.irsoversightboard.treas.gov.

[Famspear]

As opposed to the public's satisfaction with Congress -- according to a Gallup poll in August of 2012 -- at 10%:

http://www.gallup.com/poll/156662/Congr ... e-Low.aspx

[AndyK]

Simple:

Congress cut the IRS budget to severely that

1 - many training courses were dropped. The first to go was the entire "How To Intimidate Taxpayers" curriculum.

2 - there were no funds to replenish the aging jack-boot supply. Once the cleats go, they're just tacky looking disco boots.

[LPC]

Another possible interpretation is that America is 74% sheeple.

[Famspear]

Since the public's approval rating for Congress is only at 10%, I would suggest that the IRS (with its approval rating of 74%) send some of its jack-booted thugs over to Congress and give the Congress-critters some touchy-feely courses on how to connect with the voters.

Some sensitivity training, you know.



That's just me -- always trying to help in whatever way I can!

[LaVidaRoja]

It is highly probable that the lower level of satisfaction is directly related to the time and effort it now takes for a taxpayer to reach anyone at the IRS when they have a tax question. Are there still Customer Service Representatives manning the counters full-time?

[Judge Roy Bean]

A contrast to the "jackbooted thugs" perspective (emphasis added):

... Trust in enforcement is noticeably higher – 73 percent – among younger age groups (ages 18 to 24) as compared to those 65 years and older who registered a 56 percent level.

I think what that confirms is experience improves insight.

Either that or all of us old farts just keep getting more cynical.

[JamesVincent]

It is highly probable that the lower level of satisfaction is directly related to the time and effort it now takes for a taxpayer to reach anyone at the IRS when they have a tax question. Are there still Customer Service Representatives manning the counters full-time?

Or maybe the problem taxpayers have in dealing with the IRS in any situation. I have fought with the IRS on and off for over 6 years now, the last big fight coming when my ex filed and claimed our children after they were living with me and had lived with me for the better part of a year. This was in 2009 and still haven't gotten it straight. There really is no remedy, that I have found, in trying to deal with the IRS.

[grixit]

It is highly probable that the lower level of satisfaction is directly related to the time and effort it now takes for a taxpayer to reach anyone at the IRS when they have a tax question. Are there still Customer Service Representatives manning the counters full-time?

I have had to phone the IRS twice in the past few years. Both times i got over half an hour of hold time. Their on hold music is classical. 30 minutes of dance of the sugar plum fairies. AUUUUGH! Is it too much to ask for some rock?

[LPC]

I have had to phone the IRS twice in the past few years. Both times i got over half an hour of hold time. Their on hold music is classical. 30 minutes of dance of the sugar plum fairies. AUUUUGH!

Consider yourself lucky. It could have been Yanni.

Actually, even worse was a number I dialed and got what I can only describe as 15 seconds of musical doggerel, repeated over and over again. Both my gums and my fingernails were bleeding after about 2 minutes (i.e., eight repeats).

[Famspear]

It's about 3:47 pm central time on Wednesday afternoon. I just got off the phone with the IRS Practitioner Priority Line (formerly know as the "tax practitioner's hotline"), and I spent nearly an hour on hold, just waiting for someone to answer.

The actual phone conference (after the IRS person answered) took only about five minutes or so, and the employee was very helpful. This, however, should be the time of year when they're the "least busy." Often times, I am able to get through after only about 10 or 15 minutes of waiting.

EDIT: Personally, I call the IRS line just to hear that invigorating music that others in this thread have talked about. It's great. I just hope they never change it.

You know, it would be terrible if they changed the music to Pink Floyd, or Van Morrison, or J.J. Cale, or the Allman Brothers, or Hendrix, or Neil Young, or some other dumb stuff like that, you know.....

[erwalkerca]

How about The Crickets or Bobby Fuller Four performing I Fought The Law.

An even better choice would be Taxman by The Beatles.

[Cpt Banjo]

Back before you could go online to quickly get a taxpayer identification number for a newly-formed entity, you had to do so by phone. The wait time could be considerable, and the hold music was some horrible unmelodic stuff that featured the kettle drum quite prominently. It was enough to make your head explode.