Three-quarters of all callers got busy signals, and the remaining calls simply rang and rang. Reform efforts by the President will help, but they are very minor, and involve a lengthy phase-in before even minor changes would happen. Tax cheats should be pursued vigorously, but the IRS should not automatically distrust taxpayers. When the IRS causes a big fight, and loses, it should have to pay the fees of the taxpayer. The IRS should pay the same interest rate on refunds as it charges on late payments.
Taxpayers deserve a trial by their peers.
In non-criminal tax suits, you now cannot have a jury trial unless you first pay the money the IRS claims that you owe. Strengthen the now-obscure taxpayer right to an internal IRS appeal before a lawsuit or a seizure. The goal should be determining the correct tax, not maximizing the tax. Even the best-intentioned workers cannot grasp the current complex code. But the current mess requires a complete overhaul.