IRS Funding Increases Allow Increased Customer Service Ahead of April 18 Tax Deadline

Congress approved an $80 billion boost in funding over 10 years for the IRS to improve services and enforce compliance.
IRS wait times dropped from 27 minutes to 4 minutes due to hiring 5,000 new employees to answer calls and clear backlogs.
The IRS answered 2.4 million more calls and served 100,000 more taxpayers in person compared to last year as of April 7.
Refunds and tax bills may differ this year as pandemic benefits have expired, with the average refund at $2,900 so far.
Taxpayers can file for an automatic extension until Oct. 15 but still must pay any taxes due to avoid interest charges and late payment penalties.