I.G. report: IRS improved computer maintenance

The Treasury Department’s inspector general for tax administration reported that the IRS had a system in place to check how well it is replacing old computer hardware and had developed a strategy to improve access to data and cost effectiveness, among other things. 

“Taxpayers and IRS employees rely heavily on the information technology infrastructure to ensure satisfaction of tax liabilities, quick resolution of issues, and the security of confidential taxpayer information,” J. Russell George, the tax administration inspector general, said in a statement. “The IRS is to be commended for these improvements.”

For its part, the IRS responded that it was pleased with the report’s findings.

The tax administration inspector general had made a string of recommendations roughly three years ago about the agency’s procedures in replacing computers, including that the IRS should improve how it tracks its computer inventory. The inspector general made no recommendations this time around.