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Tax Gap: IRS Needs Specific Goals and Strategies for Improving Compliance

November 30, 2017

Pursuit's Take

The tax gap, which is the amount Americans owe versus what they pay, is estimated by the IRS to be about $458 billion annually. According to GAO, the “IRS previously set or acknowledged goals to improve voluntary compliance. However, IRS has since moved away from that approach. IRS officials now believe there are limited benefits to establishing goals because IRS cannot control all aspects of compliance and updated methodologies may cause fluctuations in the estimates.” However, GAO adds, “Without long-term, quantitative goals for improving voluntary compliance, it will be difficult for IRS to determine the success of its compliance efforts and adjust its approaches.”

This report focuses on the tax gap, and tax gap estimates, and the IRS’s goals, for reducing the tax gap.

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