Priority Open Recommendations: Internal Revenue Service
| Report Type |
Reports and Testimonies |
| Report Date |
June 14, 2021 |
| Release Date |
June 14, 2021 |
| Report No. |
GAO-21-547PR |
Summary:
What GAO Found
In April 2020, GAO identified 24 priority recommendations for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Since then, IRS has implemented 9 of those recommendations by, among other things, defining appropriate levels of telephone and correspondence service for taxpayers and developing a strategy to improve services to taxpayers across all service channels.
In June 2021, GAO identified 10 additional priority recommendations for IRS, bringing the total number to 25. These recommendations involve the following areas:
Improve payment integrity
Reduce tax fraud
Improve information security
Improve audit effectiveness
Improve taxpayer services
Enhance strategic human capital management
Enhance information reporting
Full implementation of these recommendations could significantly improve IRS's operations.
Why GAO Did This Study
Priority open recommendations are the GAO recommendations that warrant priority attention from heads of key departments or agencies because their implementation could save large amounts of money; improve congressional and/or executive branch decision-making on major issues; eliminate mismanagement, fraud, and abuse; or ensure that programs comply with laws and funds are legally spent, among other benefits. Since 2015 GAO has sent letters to selected agencies to highlight the importance of implementing such recommendations.
For more information, contact James R. McTigue, Jr. or Jessica Lucas-Judy at (202) 512-6806 or mctiguej@gao.gov or lucasjudyj@gao.gov.
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