When The Watchdog last checked on the Internal Revenue Service six months ago, we found a government agency in disarray.
The IRS wasn’t answering its phone. Callers who could get through were put on hold and sometimes hung up on. There was a backlog of unopened mail that included unchecked tax returns. Refunds were painfully slow going out.
This week, I checked with Phil Williams of Grand Prairie, a 39-year veteran of the IRS who now works as an “IRS enrolled agent” representing taxpayers before the IRS.
“What’s the situation now?” I asked.
“It’s pretty much the same,” he replied. The agency remains short-staffed.
The Journal of Accountancy reported that as of last month, the backlog included 16.6 million tax returns and nearly 6 million letters.
Here are 18 things The Watchdog discovered that you should know before the April 18 filing deadline. (Note: the deadline is past the usual April 15th day because the Emancipation Day holiday in Washington, D.C., falls on the 15th.)
The IRS claimed in January that it was prepared for this tax season. Maybe so, but here are tips to avoid ending up in IRS hell.
1. “You can’t do anything in the mail with the IRS,” Williams says. “It’s best not to send in paper returns or payment checks. If you can do everything online, that’s the best way to do it. If you can’t do it online, send it by certified mail so you have proof of the day you mailed in your tax return. And make sure you send it to the service center in…
