After years of crying poor, and generally being ignored — except for the inevitable April 15 stories — the plight of the incredible shrinking Internal Revenue Service has finally sprouted legs. As in “news” legs. Meaning it is, finally, off and running!

So, how long will this story be nightly-newsworthy? It depends. It depends in large part about how miserable, or happy, Americans are after the tax season is over. If you wait for months for a badly needed refund, the pain could be lasting.

Of course the IRS was in the news last year. That was for allegedly/obviously targeting conservative and tea party groups. One side contends that what happened was small potatoes or, at worst, a rogue operation operated out of Cincinnati that — politically — is a long way from Washington. The other side said putting the conservative groups through the tax-exemption hoop was a blatant political misuse of the IRS’ considerable powers. The fact that a batch of potentially revealing emails went missing didn’t help. Who knows what the AWOL emails really said? One side says it was nothing. Happens all the time! The other said they were a smoking gun, the man on the grassy knoll.

Except for the above, the day-to-day operations of Uncle Sam’s largest for-profit operation has largely gone unreported by the media. Like forever. Until now.

Suddenly, nationally known talking heads with furrowed brows are focusing on what IRS workers, and its relatively new commissioner, have been saying for years.That customer service is getting worse and worse, that people seeking help might not get it and that gaps in the system might make it easier for tax cheats to get away with it.

Many people outside the agency are hearing or seeing (for the first time) that the IRS collects anywhere from $6 to $14 (depending on whose counting) in taxes for every dollar it spends. Despite that, Congress, year after year, has cut the IRS budget forcing the Treasury Department operation to do more , as in a lot more, with a lot less.

While long-ignored by the mainstream media, the worker bee status of the tax extraction is now news. Bad news which, in the biz, translates to good news. Meantime …

On Tuesday, NBC’s evening news went with a lengthy (for TV) story about the plight of the IRS. And how you, the customer, are not being served very well and that it is likely to get worse.

That same day — State of the Union day — the lead editorial in The Washington Post was about the troubles in the IRS caused by a shortage of personnel. You may or may not be a reader of Post editorials, but most members of the House and Senate check them out.

Many of the people seeking help from the IRS — usually by phone — can’t afford a tax lawyer or CPA. They often have very basic questions, but they need an official/accurate answer. When they can’t get it everybody gets hurt. And angry. Voluntary compliance is at the very heart of our tax system. But people who think they are being ignored or shafted by an indifferent/overworked IRS just might invent a dependent or two, or suddenly become tax-deductible philanthropists. After all with an overworked, understaffed, ever-shrinking IRS with expanded duties can’t be everywhere: Can you say Affordable Care Act?

So Who Knew What, When? For an early warning on the IRS situation, and employee reaction to it, click here.

NEARLY USELESS FACTOID:

Compiled by Michael O’Connell.

In Greek mythology, the god Apollo gave Cassandra, daughter of King Priam of Troy, the ability to foresee the future. He also cursed her so that her prophesies would not be believed.

Source: Wikipedia

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