Sinema Seeks Answers from IRS about Backlog Creating Economic Uncertainty for Arizonans

Aug 17, 2022

Senator has repeatedly heard from Arizonans about the IRS backlog creating economic uncertainty for families

WASHINGTON – Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema is seeking answers from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) on its backlog of unprocessed tax returns and its hiring and processing difficulties that are creating continued economic challenges for Arizonans.
 
“Arizonans expect the IRS to responsibly do its job in serving taxpayers, and the economic uncertainty caused by the IRS’s backlogs is unacceptable. We’ll continue to hold the IRS accountable in meeting Arizonans’ expectations,” said Sinema.
 
In her bipartisan letter, Sinema urges the IRS to extend the suspension of automated collections, continue its pause on automated notices, and keep its surge teams in place until the hiring challenges and processing backlogs are addressed. The Senator and her colleagues note in their letter that the IRS is falling short of its hiring goals and its paper return backlog has increased from this same point last year.
 
Sinema has repeatedly heard from Arizonans about the economic uncertainty the IRS backlog is creating for families. The Senator and her team have received calls and letters expressing serious concern for the IRS’s failure to meet expectations in serving responsible Arizona taxpayers. That is why Sinema is seeking answers from the IRS on these failures and how it intends to improve and better serve Arizonans.
 
In May, the IRS agreed to Sinema and her bipartisan colleagues’s call to address its backlog, reduce delays, and maximize efficiency. The IRS and the U.S. Treasury Department later announced efforts to add additional surge teams, help process the backlog, and improve customer service.
 
Click HERE to read Sinema’s bipartisan letter.