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Internal Revenue Service: Interim Results of the 2007 Tax Filing Season and the Fiscal Year 2008 Budget Request

GAO-07-673 Published: Apr 03, 2007. Publicly Released: Apr 03, 2007.
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Highlights

The Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) tax filing season performance is a key indicator of how well IRS serves taxpayers. This year's filing season was expected to be risky because of tax system changes, including the telephone excise tax refund (TETR). IRS's fiscal year (FY) 2008 budget request shows its spending proposal for taxpayer service, enforcement, and Business Systems Modernization (BSM). The request includes initiatives to reduce the tax gap, the difference between what taxpayers owe and what they voluntarily pay on time. IRS recently estimated the net tax gap to be $290 billion in 2001. GAO was asked to (1) describe IRS's 2007 filing season performance, (2) determine how IRS's proposed FY 2008 budget compares to prior years', provides information on how proposals may impact the tax gap, justifies new spending, and whether there are opportunities to reduce or reallocate resources, and (3) evaluate the status of IRS's efforts to develop and implement BSM.

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Topics

Cost analysisCustomer serviceElectronic formsExcise taxesInternal controlsProgram evaluationTax administration systemsTax expenditures budgetsTax refundsTax returnsTaxesTaxpayersVoluntary complianceTax gap