Auditors Asked the IRS to Figure Out Why So Many Taxpayers Make Mistakes. The IRS Said ‘No.’

April 17, 2023

Maybe taxpayers would make fewer mistakes if the federal tax code weren’t so hopelessly complex.

by Eric Boehm Reason.com

As many Americans who waited until the last minute will likely rediscover this weekend, filing federal taxes is a complicated and frustrating task. No matter how much care is taken, mistakes happen—and fairly often.

During the 2021 tax filing season, for example, the IRS “suspended and reviewed 35 million returns with errors,” according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), which annually reviews the IRS’ performance and makes recommendations for improvement.

Those errors can be the result of taxpayers failing to include a necessary form or complete information, though they can also be the results of mistakes by IRS employees, the GAO reported.