Spanberger, Menendez, Fitzpatrick, Cassidy Lead Bipartisan, Bicameral Effort Urging IRS to Clear Extensive Backlog, Resolve Ongoing Customer Service Issues

Press Release

U.S. Representatives Abigail Spanberger and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), as well as U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA), led a bipartisan, bicameral group of 89 of their colleagues in reiterating to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) the urgent need to take immediate actions to reduce its massive backlog and reduce disruptions for Virginia taxpayers.

In a joint letter sent to IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig, the lawmakers urge the IRS to eliminate ongoing, unprecedented processing delays, resolve customer service issues, extend the suspension of automated notices and collections, and continue making maximum use of overtime and surge teams. Specifically, they pressed the agency to detail its plan to eliminate the backlog and speed up return processing, address the level of unprocessed returns, share refund delivery timelines, and answer if it plans to expand its workforce to meet demand.

According to the National Taxpayer Advocate (NTA), the paper return backlog has actually increased by 1.3 million and the agency has only been able to meet 12 percent of its hiring goals. Additionally, refunds are currently taking six months or longer on average compared to previous historical processing times of four to six weeks.

"Since last year, numerous Members of Congress in the House and Senate have sent several letters regarding customer service issues, processing delays, and the outstanding backlog of returns," wrote Spanberger and the bicameral group of lawmakers to IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig. "Yet, we are writing again to urge the IRS to extend the suspension of automated collections, continue the pause on automated notices, and keep its surge teams in place until hiring challenges and processing backlogs are adequately addressed."

"The lawmakers continued, "We believe that the IRS must take additional steps to improve customer service issues, decrease processing delays, and work-down the backlog of paper returns and correspondence by continuing the maximum use of overtime and surge teams, as well as the continued suspension of automated notices and collections--which have been critical in reducing pandemic-related tax return and correspondence backlogs."

The Congresswoman has long sounded the alarm about customer service performance and the agency's massive processing backlogs. In March, Spanberger and Menendez led more than 100 Senate and House colleagues in a bipartisan effort to press Commissioner Rettig on the agency's lack of a comprehensive plan to remedy the numerous problems affecting taxpayers as this filing season is already well underway. In February, Spanberger and Menendez led a 45-Member, bicameral effort urging the IRS to take immediate actions to reduce its massive backlog and improve its customer service during the 2022 tax filing season. Shortly after sending the letter, the IRS announced it would be putting together a second surge team to help address the massive backlogs and continue to improve customer service.

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