How Often IRS Contacts Taxpayers
Action
|
Number
of Contacts |
Odds
of Contact |
1992
|
2001
|
1992
|
2001
|
Civil
Contacts |
Service
Center Notices |
Automatic Penalties
|
* 17,885,327
|
19,411,819
|
1 in 6
|
1 in 7
|
Information Matching
|
** 5,338,509
|
2,533,000
|
21
|
50
|
Taxpayer Delinquent Account Issued
|
4,322,000
|
4,319,000
|
26
|
29
|
Levies, Liens, Seizures |
4,717,000
|
8,75,832
|
24
|
145
|
Taxpayer Deliquent Return Investigations
|
1,525,056
|
1,310,000
|
75
|
97
|
Tax
Audits |
Service Center |
459,213
|
529,241
|
1 in 248
|
1 in 240
|
Regular Audits |
746,806
|
202,501
|
152
|
628
|
Total |
1,206,019
|
731,742
|
94
|
174
|
Criminal
Contacts
|
Criminal Prosecution Recommended
|
5,309
|
2,056
|
1 in 21,441
|
1 in 61,818
|
Criminal Prosecution Occurs |
2,742
|
1,259
|
41,513
|
100,951
|
Criminal Convictions |
1,847
|
1,121
|
61,629
|
113,378
|
Sentenced to Prison |
989
|
708
|
115,095
|
179,516
|
Workload
|
Returns Filed |
113,829,200
|
127,097,210
|
up 12% |
IRS Staff |
114,819
|
100,577
|
down
12% |
Full Time |
113,028
|
83,007
|
down
27% |
Part Time |
1,791
|
17,570
|
up
881% |
* Figures
for 1993
**
Non-filer
first notices use 1993 data
Source:
TRAC analysis of Internal Revenue Service and Justice Department
Data
Note: Odds are based on the number of individual returns
Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, Syracuse University
Copyright, 2002
|