Bloomberg just published a lengthy article based on interviews with former IRS employees. Although it used the generic term "agent," it was obvious that they talked to revenue agents, revenue officers and office auditors. The article is behind a paywall, but here is an excerpt:
"The agency’s diminished profile is the result of a conservative campaign that’s been going on at least since Ronald Reagan became president, thriving through the Trump era even as other core Republican planks fell aside. When the party took over the House of Representatives in January, the first bill passed, on a party-line vote, was an attempt to stop most of the $80 billion from being released.
"The IRS has already started to spend that money, with the aim of modernizing and helping it catch tax cheats. “This is our moment in history to transform the IRS,” the agency’s new commissioner, Danny Werfel, declared at his swearing-in ceremony on April 4. Among his goals, he said, are hiring skilled staff to unpack complex returns, upgrading customer service and investing in technology that finally lets the agency interact with taxpayers online rather than via tons and tons of paper.
"But employees who’ve been on the job in recent years say more than extra money will be required to restore the agency to some semblance of its former self. Bloomberg Businessweek persuaded more than two dozen recently departed employees to open up about their time at the agency. Many asked to remain anonymous, saying they feared online attacks or professional blowback. Taken together, the ex-employees describe a dysfunctional agency gutted by budget cuts, staff departures and lousy tech, leaving it incapable of enforcing the nation’s tax laws fully and fairly. (The IRS declined to respond to former employees’ criticisms, pointing Businessweek to the agency’s detailed plans to revamp operations over the next several years.)"
