IRS Performance in 2026 Tax Season
WASHINGTON — The IRS managed to disburse refunds surprisingly well during the 2026 tax season, despite significant staffing reductions. However, national taxpayer advocates express concerns that many who sought assistance were left without adequate help.
“Taxpayers in need of IRS support frequently struggled to get it,” noted Erin M. Collins, who leads the IRS’ independent oversight body.
Collins had anticipated that the 2026 tax season would be challenging for many, following a notable drop in IRS personnel since the Trump administration began. The agency started off with around 102,000 employees in 2025 but found itself with only about 74,000 after various layoffs initiated by the Department of Government Efficiency.
Many customer service representatives departed this year, often due to staffing issues that prevented the IRS from accepting any takeover offers from the previous administration until after the tax return deadline.
According to a report released by Collins on Wednesday, the IRS’s overall performance exceeded her expectations. “Most taxpayers managed to file their returns and receive their refunds without major delays,” she stated.
The report highlighted that advancements in technology and automation played a crucial role in avoiding a complete breakdown during tax season. The IRS mentioned that enhanced self-service options and technological upgrades helped them better assist taxpayers with complicated cases.
That said, the agency fell short in handling phone inquiries. Calls to the main account management line were answered about 59% of the time, but only 34% of those connected taxpayers to Compliance. Alarmingly, just 19% of calls from identity theft victims were answered. Overall, victims face almost two years of waiting for IRS assistance, a deeply rooted issue within the agency.
More than 500,000 identity theft victims deal with average resolution times nearing 20 months, and processing times are approaching 600 days, as indicated in the Taxpayer Advocate Report.
