March 27,2002

Grassley on the IRS' Offer in Compromise Program

Sen. Chuck Grassley, ranking member of the Committee on Finance, made the following comment on a General Accounting Office report he and Chairman Max Baucus requested on the IRS’ offer in compromise program.

“The IRS’ continued inability to solve these problems hurts everyone involved. It hurts thetaxpayer who owes money and wants to settle his debts and get on with his life. It hurts all taxpayersin general, because it means tax money isn’t coming into the Treasury that could be coming in. The delay in getting responses to taxpayers hurts the IRS’ efficiency. Often by the time the IRS gets to someone’s file, the information is so outdated the taxpayer has to re-submit his information. We have to solve these problems. This program is too important not to work.”