United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2000-12-22 monographic deposited born digital 57 p. GA 1.13:GAO-01-158 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-158 P0b002ee18038f6a1 f:d01158 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-28 GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-158 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-158 GAO-01-158 Tax administration Performance measures Customer service Telephone Tax returns Taxpayers IRS Tax Counseling for the Elderly Program IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program IRS Q-Matic System Earned Income Credit Earned Income Tax Credit Other Written Product

GAO reviewed the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) performance during the 2000 tax filing season. Except for a few relatively minor glitches, which were not unexpected given the enormity of the IRS processing task, the processing systems worked well. On the other hand, although taxpayers were better able to reach IRS over the telephone compared to 1999, IRS' performance was still well below the level achieved in 1998. While GAO's review identified several positive aspects with respect to IRS' monitoring of other forms of assistance for taxpayers to reach IRS, it also identified several opportunities for improvement. In some respects, such as with the volunteer assistance programs and the assistance provided by IRS' walk-in sites and area distribution centers,the opportunities centered around performance measures. In those areas, unlike the situation with respect to IRS" telephone service, it was not easy to assess IRS' performance because either IRS did not have good measures or there were problems with the data behind the measures. Other improvement opportunities centered around management oversight--the kind of oversight that would enhance the level of service provided by better ensuring that (1) training materials and computer equipment were delivered to the volunteer assistance sites on time and in working condition and (2) data being entered on the Web site by various offices within IRS are current and consistent. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-158/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-158.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-158/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-158.pdf GAO-01-158 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-158 Other Written Product GAO-01-158; Tax Administration: Assessment of IRS' 2000 Tax Filing; Tax administration Performance measures Customer service Telephone Tax returns Taxpayers IRS Tax Counseling for the Elderly Program IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program IRS Q-Matic System Earned Income Credit Earned Income Tax Credit Title 26 Section 32 26 U.S.C. 32