Report- IRS needs phone help

WASHINGTON -- Customers calling the IRS for help with their tax returns wait an average of four minutes to speak to a representative and often get inaccurate information, a new government report says.

Customers are waiting 15 percent longer than they did in 2000, the General Accounting Office said.

The GAO's assessment was bad news for the Internal Revenue Service, which has made a point of trying to improve telephone service for the more than 70 million people who called for tax help this year.

IRS Commissioner Charles Rossotti said he agreed that "we need better testing, documentation and analytical activities" to understand and enhance the agency's performance.

He said, however, that he is confident the agency is moving in the right direction. In a letter responding to the GAO, Rossotti cited numerous improvements the agency has made including better telephone technology and assistance for Spanish speaking callers.

James White, director of tax issues at GAO, said that overall the IRS made some limited strides in providing better phone service in 2001.

The agency now takes calls around the clock, seven days a week. The IRS also increased its use of computer automation to answer simple consumer questions.

But those improvements aren't enough to eliminate the frustration of calling the IRS for help, the GAO said.

About 25 percent of the time, customers asking questions about tax law were given incorrect information. About 12 percent of the time, customers asking questions about their account were given incorrect information.

"The IRS has continued to struggle to provide accessible and accurate telephone assistance," White said. He called the quality of telephone service "well below the IRS' goal of providing world class service."