Victims of identity theft face “unconscionable” delays at the Internal Revenue Service, a dynamic causing headaches and financial hardship for many Americans that comes amid steep staffing cuts at the federal agency, according to a report to Congress published Wednesday by the National Taxpayer Advocate, an internal IRS watchdog.
More than 500,000 victims of tax-related identity theft are currently awaiting resolution from the IRS, the report said. The agency is currently taking about 20 months — nearly two years — to close their cases, according to the report.