National Taxpayer Advocate Report for Fiscal Year 2026

The National Taxpayer Advocate (NTA) heads up the Taxpayer Advocate Service, an independent organization within the IRS that works to assist taxpayers with certain problems and to get the IRS to improve operations. The NTA’s mid-year report lays out goals and challenges for the IRS for 2026. In addition to wanting the IRS to finish processing employee retention credit refund claims, it suggests (1) the IRS should create fully functional online accounts that taxpayers and tax professionals can use to “ view all relevant information and conduct all transactions with the IRS through their accounts;” (2) digitize the processing of paper-filed returns, correspondence and other documents; and (3) integrate case management systems so information needed by taxpayers is readily available to IRS customer service representatives (CSRs).  #IdeaoftheDay