The IRS now says that it has a plan for clearing its backlog of 7.2 millions filings. It will hire 5,000 employees this month, with no tax experience.
Thursday’s announcement by the tax agency stated that it will host job fairs March 16, 23, and 30, at its processing centers in Austin (Texas), Kansas City, Missouri, and Ogden (Utah). The agency stated that applicants will be offered jobs right away.
“Temporary, term, and permanent positions are available. The agency stated that many of the positions are for entry-level tax examiners and clerks in the Wage and Investment Division. “No previous tax experience is necessary.”
The Wage and Investment Division processes taxpayer submissions and pays, and provides updates to filers about their returns’ status.
The IRS has launched a major hiring campaign at a time of historically tight labor markets, when there are not enough workers to fill the country’s current 11.3million open positions. Many workers are involved in the “Great Resignation”, where they quit their jobs to seek better opportunities and pay.
The IRS may struggle to attract workers based only on their pay: Federal employees are guaranteed a minimum of $15 per hour. The IRS offers annual pay rates ranging from $23,000 to $47,000.
It is possible that the agency will find it difficult to attract talent at a time when employers raise pay.
“Those who want to focus on customer service are encouraged to apply,” Ken Corbin (IRS taxpayer experience officer, and wage and investment commissioner) said in a statement. This is an enjoyable job, as the newly hired employees will process tax returns to deliver refunds for taxpayers across the country.
The IRS stated that applicants can expect to start work within 30 to 45 business days after they have been offered employment.
Additional 5,000 hirings in 2023
According to the IRS, it plans to hire another 5,000 workers by 2023.
An increase of 10,000 employees in two years would be a significant boost for the IRS’ workforce, as 82,000 IRS workers were employed in fiscal year 2021. It could also help the agency return to its 2010 level with approximately 94,000 employees.
Separately, IRS stated that it now uses chat and voice bots on two of its toll free telephone assistance lines and at IRS.gov. This will allow taxpayers to get quick answers. This comes after last season, only one in ten phone calls reached an IRS employee. This led to frustration for taxpayers looking to receive answers to their refund delays.
According to the IRS, bots can answer questions regarding one-time payments, clarify collection notices, and provide answers for FAQs.
According to the agency, voice bots will be able to handle more complex issues later in the year. They can authenticate a user’s identity and create a payment plan, request transcripts, and provide information about their accounts.
