Washington, D.C. –In an effort to alleviate the significant backlog at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME) joined a bipartisan and bicameral group of 100 of their colleagues in sending a letter to IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig last month.  The group urged the IRS to suspend notices that are distracting the agency from its mission to address customer service and processing issues.  

“We remain concerned that the IRS does not have a comprehensive plan to remedy the numerous problems affecting taxpayers, despite the fact that this filing season is already well underway,” wrote the lawmakers to IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig. “For example, there is continued confusion about which notices may be unilaterally suspended by the IRS, beyond the notices the IRS has already suspended, among other issues.”

The lawmakers’ letter requested the IRS to identify which notices are statutorily required to be issued within a specific time and why there are still certain notices that have not yet been suspended.

In response, the IRS disclosed that they have suspended 34 notices and are considering suspending an additional 10 notices.

“The IRS continues to deal with extraordinary challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has affected us all. I assure you we are working hard to meet taxpayers’ continuing needs and provide relief or assistance whenever appropriate,” IRS Commissioner Rettig wrote in response. “We have taken steps to suspend certain automated notices. This suspension allows us to focus on the backlog of inventory and prevent confusion for taxpayers who may have mailed correspondence to us.  To address the backlog, we have reassigned employees from other areas of the IRS, instituted mandatory overtime, and implemented new tools to help expedite case closures. To help taxpayers and tax professionals, the IRS launched a special new page on IRS.gov, which provides the latest details and information affecting the 2022 filing season.”

In addition to Senators Collins and King, the letter to IRS Commissioner Rettig was co-signed in the Senate by Senators Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), John Barrasso (R-WY), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), John Boozman (R-AR), Mike Braun (R-IN), Richard Burr (R-NC), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Tom Carper (D-DE), Chris Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Steve Daines (R-MT), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), James Lankford (R-OK), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Rob Portman (R-OH), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Tim Scott (R-SC), Tina Smith (D-MN), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), John Thune (R-SD), Pat Toomey (R-PA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mark Warner (D-VA), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), and Todd Young (R-IN).

Their letter was supported by the Maine Society of Certified Public Accounts (MECPA), Prosperity Now, Association of International Certified Professional Accountants (AICPA), Padgett Business Services, National Association of Enrolled Agents (NAEA), National Association of Tax Professionals (NATP), National Society of Accountants (NSA), National Conference of CPA Practitioners (NCCPAP), National Association of Black Accountants, Inc. (NABA), Latino Tax Pro, Diverse Organization of Firms Advocacy Committee, National Society of Black Certified Public Accountants (NSBCPA), and National Society of Tax Professionals (NSTP).