Declining IRS workforce leaves calls unanswered as Tax Day approaches, union says

U.S. Department of the Treasury Internal Revenue Service (IRS) 1040 Individual Income Tax forms for the 2014 tax year Daniel Acker/Bloomberg

Taxpayers across the country are lining up for hours outside walk-in centers and getting just four in 10 calls for information answered by the Internal Revenue Service as April 15 approaches, the union representing IRS employees said Monday.

The National Treasury Employees Union released data showing state-by-state declines in the agency’s workforce after five years of budget cuts by Congress.

“These figures should shock the conscience of Congress,” NTEU President Colleen Kelley said at a news conference to draw attention to the budget cuts’ effect on customer service this tax season.

Congress has reduced the IRS budget by a total of $1.2 billion since 2010. The cuts have come as the agency battles a growing epidemic of identity theft and new responsibilities created by the Affordable Care Act. The volume of calls to the toll-free number are on the rise, along with the number of Americans filing tax returns.

The agency has lost 18,138 full-time and seasonal employees during this period; A quarter of the workforce is now eligible to retire and by 2019 the number will hit 40 percent, Commissioner John Koskinen said last week.

Below are some state-by-state statistics that tell the story of an agency going through downsizing imposed by Congress that its union officials and senior leaders say is taking a big toll on the public.

Five states with the biggest percentage declines in their IRS workforces (2011-2015):
Montana: 33 percent
Hawaii: 31.8 percent
Wyoming: 30.8 percent
Nebraska: 30.7 percent
Mississippi: 30.4 percent

Five states with the biggest numerical declines in their IRS workforces (2011-2015):
California: 3,039
Georgia: 1,865
Texas: 1,363
Missouri: 1,274
New York: 1,165

IRS Employee Count by State, 2011-2015
The following chart reflects total IRS employees, both full and part-time, at locations across the United States.

(Source: Internal Revenue Service, released by NTEU)