IRS: Infuriating Reduced Service     
    
   If you're facing wage garnishment or bank levies, good luck contacting the IRS to plead hardship. 

   The agency answered only 29 percent of the 100 million telephone calls received during fiscal year 2019. Annual budget cuts and the workload to implement new tax law has the IRS way behind.

   It was late sending legitimate refunds to many taxpayers, and get this: the IRS failed to collect billions in unpaid taxes. (So what did a budget cut save?)

   Taxpayer Advocate within the IRS is charged with ensuring taxpayer rights. But its annual report to Congress spelled out ongoing troubles. 

   Budget cuts (20 percent since 2010) and a drop in full-time employees by some 22 percent over the same period help explain poor customer service. About one third of its workforce will retire over the next five years.

   If there is any good news, maybe there are no more employees with spare time to cull applications for tax exemption by new conservative groups. 

       Jimmy