YORK, Pa. — Monday marks the start of the 2022 tax season.
Many experts say it could be a rocky one.
The IRS is still working to get caught up with last year’s tax returns -- and staffing shortages at the federal agency could complicate matters even further.
“There’s definitely a backlog," said Ageana Spurlock, office manager and accountant at RSB & Associates in York. "I’ve never heard of it being this bad before and even trying to reach the IRS is nearly impossible right now."
Spurlock is one of many accountants trying to help clients who have yet to see last year’s tax return.
“They really have nowhere to go but to us," Spurlock says. "So, their frustrations turn to us and we don’t have anywhere to go with that because we’re not getting answers either."
Leaders of the National Treasury Employees Union, which represents IRS workers, say it’s a stressful time for the agency.
The group’s executive vice president believes the pandemic isn’t solely responsible for the issues employees are dealing with.
“Every year they’ve seen budget cuts that have reduced the amount of staffing and resources they have to deal with the work,” said Doreen Greenwald, executive vice president of the NTEU.
Statistics show in the state of Pennsylvania alone, there’s been a 24 percent drop in IRS customer service representatives since 2010.
“There’s just not enough of them to cover all the need,” said Greenwald.
She says meanwhile, work is increasing in volume, and complexity.
This year, stimulus checks and the child tax credit are added to the mix.
“It’s knowing what you received throughout the year, if you don’t have the paperwork, and then being able to provide that to us so we can accurately prepare your tax return,” said Spurlock.
The NTEU is pushing for Congress to do more.
“Really though they’re looking for additional and consistent funding. That will help address these backlogs moving forward,” said Greenwald.
So what’s the advice to taxpayers?
Have all your documents ready, file early, and pack your patience.
“The sooner we can get working on it, the sooner we know if we need additional information,” said Spurlock.
As far as how long you may wait for this year’s refund?
While IRS says most should be sent within three weeks, Spurlock doesn’t want to make any promises.
“It’s just kind of unprecedented so we don’t really know,” she said.
The IRS wants taxpayers to know if you’re one of those people still waiting for last year’s returns, you do not need to wait to file for this year.
The deadline to do so is April 18th.
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