IRS Staffing Changes Drive Shifts in Response Times

IRS staffing changes and response times have moved closely together over the past three filing seasons, according to Treasury and Internal Revenue Service statements. Federal officials say staffing shortages drove long waits in 2022, while hiring, funding, and operational changes later reduced delays. Treasury and IRS timelines describe how those shifts unfolded.

Treasury Links Staffing Levels to IRS Service Performance

The Treasury and the IRS have repeatedly said staffing capacity plays a central role in taxpayer service. When staffing levels rise, officials say the agency can answer more calls, reopen in-person services, and reduce backlogs. When staffing is constrained, response times lengthen, and unresolved correspondence grows.

In filing season summaries, Treasury has framed recent improvements as a reversal from earlier years marked by limited resources, particularly in phone assistance and paper processing.

Filing Season 2022 Shows How Resource Shortages Slowed Responses

Treasury’s later “report card” releases describe Filing Season 2022 as a low point for IRS service. According to the Treasury, the IRS answered only about 15 percent of incoming phone calls during that period.

Average phone wait times reached roughly 27 to 28 minutes. Treasury attributed those delays to a lack of resources, including staffing shortages that limited the agency’s ability to meet taxpayer demand. Officials continue to cite those figures as a baseline when describing subsequent improvements.

Treasury Says Hiring Surge Began Turning Service Around in 2023

Treasury Reports 5,000 New Customer Service Hires

At the start of Filing Season 2023, Treasury announced the IRS had hired 5,000 new customer service representatives to answer phones. The department said the hiring was supported by funding from the Inflation Reduction Act.

Treasury also reported additional hires for Taxpayer Assistance Centers, expanding in-person service after years of reduced staffing.

Officials Cite Sharp Drop in Phone Wait Times in 2023

In April 2023, Treasury said those staffing increases led to immediate gains. According to the department, IRS representatives answered more calls, and average phone wait times fell to about four minutes during Filing Season 2023.

Treasury explicitly tied the improvement to new hires, contrasting the results with the extended waits reported in 2022.

IRS Warns Paper Processing Slows When Staffing Is Limited

Commissioner Says Digitization Aims to Cut Delays

IRS leadership has also linked staffing constraints to delays in paper processing. In August 2023 remarks, IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said paper-heavy workflows slow processing and increase errors.

Werfel said earlier reductions in funding and personnel limited the agency’s ability to address paper backlogs. He added that the Inflation Reduction Act resources allowed the IRS to accelerate digitization efforts, including scanning paper returns and correspondence to shorten processing times.

IRS Expands Digital Notice Responses to Reduce Mail Backlogs

In November 2023, the Treasury and the IRS announced that taxpayers could submit responses to IRS notices digitally. Officials said the change reduced reliance on mail, which can strain processing capacity when staffing is tight.

Treasury described the expansion as part of the IRS Paperless Processing Initiative.

Filing Season 2024 Delivers Faster Phone Service, Treasury Says

Treasury’s Filing Season 2024 report card again linked staffing and operational changes to improved response times. The department reported average IRS phone wait times of about three minutes, citing continued hiring and expanded callback options.

In a June 2024 featured story, Treasury said more than 5,000 new hires helped sustain those results throughout the filing season.

IRS Says Funding Lapses Can Quickly Reverse Gains

IRS officials have warned that service improvements can erode quickly when staffing is reduced. In an October 2025 statement issued during a lapse in appropriations, the IRS said live phone assistance would be limited, and Taxpayer Assistance Centers would close.

The agency also said it generally would not respond to paper correspondence during the lapse and warned that backlogs would grow, leading to longer delays even after normal operations resumed.

What IRS Staffing Changes Mean for Taxpayers Now

Treasury and IRS statements suggest IRS staffing changes and response times remain closely connected. When staffing and funding increase, phone waits and processing delays tend to fall. When operations are constrained, delays can return quickly.

Officials continue to encourage taxpayers to use online accounts, digital notice responses, and callback options when available, noting that these tools help reduce staff strain and improve response times.

Source Links

• U.S. Department of the Treasury, Filing Season 2023 Report Card
• U.S. Department of the Treasury, Filing Season 2024 Report Card
• IRS Commissioner Remarks on the Paperless Processing Initiative
  

‍By William Mc Lee, Editor-in-Chief & Tax Expert—Get Tax Relief Now