With a backlog of some 10 million unprocessed tax returns hanging in the balance, 93 members of Congress were joined by the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) today to urge the Internal Revenue Service to make headway and address customer service issues including unwarranted liens and penalties, before restarting compliance actions.

Members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives and the AICPA sent letters to IRS Commissioner Charles P. Rettig asking the IRS to take immediate action to fix tax return processing delays.

The IRS’ paper return backlog has increased by 1.3 million since 2021 and the agency has only been able to meet 12% of its hiring goals, according to The National Taxpayer Advocate. That news comes amidst the IRS’ recent admission that that it had inadvertently destroyed 30 million unprocessed paper returns.

Both lawmakers and the AICPA called on Commissioner Rettig to extend the suspension of automated notices and collections as well as continue to make maximum use of overtime and surge teams until backlog of returns and taxpayer communication can be handled in a timely manner.

“We believe that the IRS must take additional steps to improve customer service issues, decrease processing delays, and work-down the backlog of paper returns and correspondence by continuing the maximum use of overtime and surge teams, as well as the continued suspension of automated notices and collections, which have been critical in reducing pandemic-related tax return and correspondence backlogs,” the bicameral group of lawmakers including Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine and Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger said.

The lawmakers asked Rettig to detail the agency’s plan to eliminate its tax return backlog, speed up its return processing, share its refund delivery timelines and answer questions regarding plans to expand its workforce to meet the demand.

AICPA Tax Executive Committee Chair Jan F. Lewis agreed with the lawmakers in her letter today advising the IRS Commissioner that “more needs to be done to ensure that taxpayers and practitioners are not faced in 2023 with yet another tax filing season with unprecedented levels of unprocessed returns, leading to delays in processing and incorrect notices and penalties.

Of particular concern to the AICPA, which represents 428,000 CPAs and accountants in the U.S. and worldwide, is the IRS’ announcement that it will soon restart automatic compliance actions, she said.

“Until the IRS is able to respond to taxpayer replies to notices in a timely manner, these compliance actions should not be restarted,” said Lewis, who noted that the IRS’ backlog resulted in millions of incorrect notices and actions.

“Even with the recent suspension of many collection notices, taxpayers are still receiving collection notices or threatening liens or levies. Furthermore, many taxpayers must respond to notices through paper correspondence and must wait months for a resolution.,” Lewis added.