Summary

In response to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) progress in installing its $150 million Communications Replacement System.

GAO found that: (1) IRS completed 45 percent of the scheduled system testing to determine hardware and software compatibility; (2) problems with the contractor's software delayed complete testing of the system for 6 weeks; (3) IRS had intended to have the system operational in two of its service centers by the start of the 1988 tax filing season, but now plans to have the system installed in only one center because of the delays; and (4) IRS does not expect any serious disruption to the processing of tax returns while it installs the new system, since it requires that each service center have the ability to revert back to its old system, if necessary.