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ExpectMore.govExpectMore.gov home pageEXPECT FEDERAL PROGRAMS TO PERFORM WELL, AND BETTER EVERY YEAR.
 
Program Assessment

Program

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Internal Revenue Service Taxpayer Advocate Service

This program helps taxpayers solve tax problems when normal IRS systems have failed to treat them fairly. It serves as an independent advocate within the IRS for individuals and proposes solutions to systemic problems.

Rating

What This Rating Means

PERFORMING
Moderately Effective

In general, a program rated Moderately Effective has set ambitious goals and is well-managed. Moderately Effective programs likely need to improve their efficiency or address other problems in the programs' design or management in order to achieve better results.
  • The quality of the Advocate's case work on behalf of taxpayers has improved from 71 percent with quality standards in 2001 to 90.5 percent in 2004.
  • Taxpayer hardship cases caused by flaws in IRS' business processes have declined from 217,081 in 2001 to 129,382 in 2004 as the Advocate has worked with IRS program managers to improve processes.
  • During the assessment, the program set goals and developed an efficiency measure. These include achieving a 100 percent closure-to-receipts ratio through 2010, 95 percent case quality score by 2009, and 4.53 (out of 5) customer satisfaction score by 2009. Efficiency is measured by counting the reduction in the quantity of taxpayer problems resulting from flaws in IRS' business processes.

Improvement Plan

About Improvement Plans

We are taking the following actions to improve the performance of the program:

  • Developing a unit cost measure for its casework by 2006 (delayed to 2008).
  • Exploring other means to measure its effectiveness in solving systemic problems leading to taxpayer hardship. IRS will report its findings in 2006 for possible inclusion in its FY 2008 Budget.
  • Improving case quality to 91.5 percent by 2006, 93 percent by 2009, and 95 percent by 2014.

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