In the next coming months, the IRS is looking to hire more than 5,000 employees in three cities over the next few months and another 5,000 over the next year. This is a large increase (13%) considering “In FY 2020, the IRS used 75,773 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions in conducting its work” according to the IRS. Additionally, the IRS has added “automated workers” through voice and chatbots on some of its phone lines and website pages. This all ties back to the IRS’ effort to increase taxpayer service and clear out its backlog.
Desperate for Workers?
The IRS is currently looking for a massive amount of workers in a short period of time to fill a lot of these entry-level positions, and jobs may be offered on the spot. Ken Corbin, IRS taxpayer experience officer and Wage and Investment commissioner said, “The IRS has opportunities for almost every profession, starting with these entry-level positions. Starting here today can guide you to your future career, like it has done for me starting in high school.” Those who may be interested in joining up should note the IRS is hiring for its Austin, Texas; Kansas City, Missouri; and Ogden, Utah service centers.
Roles of Workers
The processing center would use the increase in workers to clear their enormous backlog of paper returns and free up time for higher-level employees. Additionally, the bots being used by the IRS are set to improve taxpayers’ experiences when trying to get in contact with an IRS agent. Chuck Rettig, the IRS Commissioner said in a statement, “These bots can help some people avoid lengthy phone delays for something that could be resolved on the spot.” This should be good news for all taxpayers as the IRS answered only about 11% of calls in 2021, and even when calls were answered many callers found them to be unhelpful.
Wrap Up
The changes should make for a much simpler tax season. Bots will be especially helpful for those who need to wrap up small items such as payment or collection notice questions. The bots will speak both English and Spanish and can also help with one-time payments, FAQs, and collection notice clarification. This is a relief as a typical call regarding collection issues for an IRS agent lasts for an average of about 20 minutes.
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