|
The IRS is authorized to compromise with people who can show the
can't pay all their tax debts. But critics have complained
that the IRS takes much too long to decide on taxpayer
offers. Among those critics is Nina E. Olson, the IRS's
national taxpayer advocate. she says she recently received a
letter from a taxpayer who had submitted an offer in December
2000-andd still hasn't' received a verdict.
An IRS spokeswoman says, "the average
backlog for the average case is 10 months." |
But more
complex case take much longer. Meanwhile, the number of
applications still is soaring: As of August, the backlog stood at
about 94,000, up from 62,551 nearly two years earlier, the
spokeswoman says. The IRS is trying to respond by adopting
an "inventory- reduction program" that includes special
employee training. But the backlog is so big an growing so
rapidly that it will take years to make significant progress, Ms.
Olson says.
Senate staffers predict the program will
be probed at hearings this year. |
