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Washington, D.C.—The president of the union representing Internal Revenue Service (IRS) employees today praised the decision of House-Senate conferees to prohibit IRS customer service cutbacks without first making a detailed assessment of the impact of such cuts. The conferees accepted the tougher Senate version of the restrictions.

“This is a major victory for taxpayers who are trying to get the help they need to comply with the tax laws,” said President Colleen M. Kelley of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU). She offered that assessment of the decision impacting IRS customer service in the House-Senate conference report on the fiscal 2006 Transportation-Treasury Appropriations Bill.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) this week reported that cuts in IRS customer service had a detrimental impact on taxpayers during the 2005 tax-filing season, including a significant increase in the length of time it took to reach telephone assistors and a sharp increase in the number of taxpayers who abandoned their phone calls while waiting for help.

Earlier this year, NTEU mounted a nationwide campaign involving its chapters and members that resulted in an IRS decision to suspend its plan to close 68 of its Taxpayer Assistance Centers (TACs) around the country. NTEU members conducted rallies in cities across the country.

The detrimental impact of the IRS plan had drawn criticism from the National Taxpayer Advocate, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), the public-private IRS Oversight Board and a variety of public interest groups. Led by NTEU, all parties cited the impact on groups of taxpayers who would be least able to cope effectively with the cutbacks. These include seniors, low-income taxpayers, those who face language barriers and those who either are not familiar with or do not have access to the Internet. The IRS is attempting to drive as many taxpayers as possible to the web site for the help they need.

In their separate versions of the 2006 Treasury funding bill, both the House and Senate approved language dealing with IRS customer service cutbacks. The final language—adopted by appropriations committee conferees—requires that TIGTA study all proposed cuts to taxpayer service as well as review the agency’s estimated cost savings from any cuts. It also requires the IRS to consult with stakeholder organizations, including IRS employees.

NTEU is the largest independent federal union, representing some 150,000 employees in 30 agencies and departments, including about 94,000 in the IRS.