The Taxpayer Advocate Service Assisted Thousands of Taxpayers With CARES Act Issues but Faced Challenges in Identifying and Tracking Applicable Cases
Report Information
Date Issued
October 20, 2021
Report Number
2022-16-002
Report Type
Audit
Special Project
Pandemic
Special Emphasis
Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) and COVID-19 Related Audits
Joint Report
Yes
Participating OIG
Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration
Agency Wide
Yes (agency-wide)
Questioned Costs
$0
Funds for Better Use
$0
Recommendations
The National Taxpayer Advocate should reinforce existing guidance to ensure that Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) employees are adhering to: a) the Internal Revenue Manual (IRM) guidance concerning contacts not meeting TAS criteria and b) TAS policies related to the handling of congressional referrals.
The National Taxpayer Advocate should consider establishing an issue code for stimulus-type payments.