Amid tax season, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner of Virginia is pressing for answers about underperformance at the Richmond Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) office.
The Richmond TAS serves the entire Commonwealth and has underperformed for years due to staffing shortfalls that have significantly increased caseloads and further strained the office’s ability to provide timely, effective service.
Not only is now a busy time for tax preparers, but President Donald Trump is working to gut the IRS and the services it provides to families.
Warner wrote to Erin Collins, the National Taxpayer Advocate at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), about the Richmond TAS, one of many that are tasked with helping individuals with tax problems they cannot resolve on their own. They are also tasked with helping ensure that taxpayers are treated fairly and understand their rights.
“In light of the current degradation of the IRS workforce, it is imperative that TAS prioritizes improvements in taxpayer service – especially in offices where staffing issues already are causing delays and disruptions to citizens seeking assistance or simply relying on a timely tax refund. I urge you to take immediate steps to enhance the service that Richmond TAS provides my constituents,” Warner wrote.
Warner wrote that the pre-existing personnel and leadership issues at Richmond TAS have lowered morale for staff, and will likely further deteriorate the workplace atmosphere during the Trump Administration with policies forcing staff to leave.
“Already quite strained with just 17 case advocates, another two advocates and a senior case advocate have accepted the Musk-Trump buyout, which will take effect on May 15. At that point, only 15 case advocates will remain to serve all of Virginia — a nearly 25 percent reduction in staff,” Warner wrote.
In the letter, Warner urged Collins to push back against any harmful personnel decisions that stand to negatively impact taxpayers and pressed for answers to the following questions regarding the performance of the Richmond TAS office:
- How long has Richmond TAS been performing in the bottom 50 percent of TAS offices nationwide?
- What metrics does TAS use to track performance of its local offices? What specific factors have contributed to Richmond TAS’s poor performance?
- What steps, if any, did TAS headquarters take to improve performance at Richmond TAS prior to January 2025?
- What support does TAS headquarters plan to offer Richmond TAS’s leadership to improve performance?
- How does TAS headquarters plan to address staffing shortages at Richmond TAS to ensure that Virginians receive the level of taxpayer service that they deserve?
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Rebecca Barnabi
