Start Your Engines…the Internal Revenue Service is Back to Work.

October 17^th marks the end of the lapse in appropriations that caused the Federal Government Shutdown.  The Shutdown kept IRS employees home from work for the past 16 workdays.  Because the IRS has now returned to work, it is time to put the taxlawforum.com back to work as well. 

With approximately 91 percent of IRS employees returning to work, we should expect that operations will be back to full swing in the next few days.   During the shutdown, individuals and business owners were unable to move forward with the resolution of any tax matters (audits, collections, appeals, etc.)  Those with outstanding tax liabilities were able to breathe a sigh of relief as the shutdown meant no new liens or levies. 

Now that the IRS is returning to work, audits will be resumed and collection activity will start again.  Of course there will be a 16 day backlog that has to be dealt with.  Unfortunately, however, this likely means that less time will be spent on each account.  While at first blush this may sound as though it will increase the number of favorable results, it may well mean the opposite.  Taxpayers should be prepared to make sure that their rights are safeguarded and that proper procedures are followed.  Overwhelming workloads may mean that corners are cut and that matters may not receive the attention that they require.  It is simply a question of workload vs. time available.  Therefore, whether working with a professional, or dealing with a tax matter alone, individuals and business owners should make sure that their matter is dealt with thoroughly and that the proper outcome of any case is achieved.