Erin Collins, National Taxpayer Advocate with the Taxpayer Advocate Service, speaks during a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing in Washington, DC on May 19, 2021.
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The IRS is facing a growing number of tax identity theft cases, but the agency is working on “a variety of improvements” to speed up service.
As of April, authorities had a backlog of about 500,000 cases. Identity theft casesThat’s up from 484,000 cases in September, National Taxpayer Advocate Erin Collins reported last week. Victims of identity theft are waiting more than 22 months for resolution and weeks for refunds.
“Four years into the pandemic, the IRS’s delays in assisting victims are inexcusable,” Collins wrote last week.
While taxpayer services have improved throughout the 2024 tax season, the backlog of identity theft cases remains “one of the most significant ongoing service gaps,” the IRS said in a statement.
The IRS said it is working on improvements to provide “faster service” to victims of identity theft, including increasing resources to process cases.
The agency also plans to review its processes and work with stakeholders to “identify and prevent evolving tax-related identity theft threats.”
“Identity theft cases are complex and take time to resolve,” but the IRS says the increased funding has put it in a better position to deal with such cases quickly.
The agency told tax professionals on Tuesday: Identity thief It could be targeting them and their customers.
“Security threats to tax professionals and taxpayers’ sensitive information continue to evolve, and it is important for them to stay on top of the latest developments to protect their businesses and their clients,” IRS Commissioner Danny Wuerfel said in a statement Tuesday.
