If you’ve ever waited on hold with the IRS for 30 minutes just to get a basic question answered, you’re not alone. A federal advisory panel just released a major report calling on the IRS to fix exactly that — and a lot of other frustrations that millions of taxpayers deal with every year. Here’s what’s in the report, what’s driving the push for change, and what it all means if you’re dealing with a tax issue right now.
What Is the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel?
The Taxpayer Advocacy Panel — known as TAP — is a volunteer body made up of everyday citizens from across the country. Their job is to listen to taxpayers, identify problems with how the IRS operates, and make formal recommendations to the agency. They’re independent, they don’t get paid, and they represent a cross-section of the American public. In short, they’re your voice when it comes to how the IRS does business.
What the New Report Says
TAP recently released its 2025 Annual Report, submitting 20 project referrals to the IRS that included 188 recommendations aimed at improving IRS operations and enhancing the experience for taxpayers nationwide.
The key proposals target clearer notices, enhanced online accounts and chat tools, improved correspondence, and in-person assistance — all aimed at reducing delays and lowering IRS call volumes.
Specifically, the panel recommended:
Clearer communications. IRS notices are notoriously confusing. Many taxpayers receive a letter from the IRS and have no idea what it means or what they’re supposed to do about it. TAP is pushing for notices, forms, and publications to be rewritten in plain language that people can actually act on.
Better online tools. The panel recommended improving online tools available on the IRS website, including a better experience within the IRS Online Account and tax transcript applications, and streamlining ITIN online tools to reduce processing delays.
More ways to communicate. TAP recommended an “omnichannel approach” to allow taxpayers to choose how they communicate with the IRS, stressing the importance of in-person assistance to ensure taxpayers continue to have access to essential support services through IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers.
Shorter phone wait times. The panel also recommended expanding chatbot and live chat tools that could reduce wait times on IRS toll-free phone lines.
Why This Report Comes at an Important Time
These recommendations don’t exist in a vacuum. The IRS has been through a turbulent stretch. The IRS is simultaneously confronting a reduction of 27% of its workforce, significant leadership turnover, and the implementation of extensive and complex tax law changes under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act — many of which apply retroactively and require significant IRS programming, guidance, changes to tax forms and instructions, and taxpayer education.
The practical impact of those staffing reductions is already being felt. An independent analysis found that IRS wait times on its main toll-free line increased by more than 70% between February 2025 and February 2026, with callers waiting an average of 28 minutes before reaching an IRS employee. And the agency has lowered its own internal benchmark — the IRS reduced its goal for answering incoming phone calls from 85% in 2025 to 70% this filing season.
The TAP report also notes that many of the panel’s prior recommendations have not yet been implemented or responded to by IRS officials, which may reflect the budget and staffing cutbacks and management upheavals the agency has been through. The National Taxpayer Advocate, Erin M. Collins, has been vocal about these challenges, noting in her 2025 Annual Report to Congress that the current landscape is “markedly different” from prior filing seasons.
What This Means for You
Here’s the practical takeaway: the IRS is under significant strain right now. If you’re dealing with a tax issue — a notice you don’t understand, a balance you can’t pay, an amended return that seems to have disappeared — waiting for the IRS to sort it out on its own is not a strategy. The agency is processing a high volume of returns and correspondence with fewer people than it’s had in years.
That’s not a reason to panic. But it is a reason to be proactive and, if necessary, to have someone in your corner who knows how to work with the IRS effectively.
On the positive side, the IRS did recently take a step in the right direction. The agency launched a new Tax Debt Help tool that guides taxpayers and businesses through a series of questions about their financial situation and tax debt, then points them toward potential payment and resolution options — including payment plans, temporary delays on collections, and offers in compromise for those who qualify. The tool does not require any personally identifiable information to use.
But a self-service tool has its limits. Everyone’s tax situation is different — different income sources, different deductions, different history with the IRS — and a general online tool can only take you so far. What it can’t do is advocate for you, evaluate whether you qualify for penalty abatement, or negotiate a resolution that reflects your specific circumstances.
At Morris and Associates, Ken Morris meets personally with each client to understand their complete situation before recommending any course of action. That kind of hands-on approach matters especially now, when the IRS is stretched thin and the stakes of getting things wrong are higher.
If you have unresolved tax issues, a notice you’re not sure how to respond to, or questions about your options, contact Morris and Associates for a free consultation. We’ll take the time to understand your situation and help you figure out the right next step.
Morris and Associates serves individuals and businesses throughout the greater Atlanta area and across Georgia. Call (678) 641-3193 or visit morristaxadvisors.com to schedule your free consultation.
