National Taxpayer Advocate Reports Staff Losses and Rising Caseload at TAS, While Securing New Taxpayer Protections

National Taxpayer Advocate Erin Collins said the Taxpayer Advocate Service has lost roughly a quarter of its case advocates while its inventory continues to climb. She spoke on Thursday, June 4, 2026, at The Tax Retreat in San Antonio, Texas, in conversation with Terry Lemons, former IRS Chief of Communications and Liaison.

Collins leads TAS, an independent office inside the IRS that assists taxpayers and businesses when standard IRS channels fail.

The office also identifies systemic problems, oversees the Low Income Taxpayer Clinic grant program, supports the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel, and issues annual reports to Congress. TAS employees now carry an average of about 250 open cases each. Many of the departing advocates were retirement-eligible but had not planned to leave until broader federal workforce reductions took effect.

Collins said those employees “raised their hands” when the opportunity arose. The IRS processes roughly 200 million tax returns each year, and TAS cases often involve taxpayers who have already exhausted ordinary procedures. ” The National Taxpayer Advocate reports directly to Congress and compiles legislative recommendations in the annual Purple Book, though TAS lacks authority to compel IRS action.

Collins cited two recent statutes that address long-standing taxpayer complaints. The IRS Math and Taxpayer Help Act requires math-error notices to specify the type of error, the relevant Code section, the affected line or schedule, the adjustment made, and the taxpayer’s right to challenge the change.

The Taxpayer Assistance and Service Act, introduced by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo and Ranking Member Ron Wyden, contains dozens of provisions on dispute resolution, communications, digital tools, penalties, and taxpayer rights.