Report: IRS hiring new employees faster

by Bernie Becker - 01/30/13 6:37 PM ET

The IRS is doing a better job at getting new employees on board quickly, a new federal audit has found.

The Treasury Department’s inspector general for tax
administration found that the IRS has almost met the goal, set by the Office of
Personnel Management, to bring on new hires in 80 days or less.

By contrast, the agency said in 2009 that it was taking an
average of 157 days – or roughly five months – to hire staffers.

{mosads}In its report, the inspector general found that the IRS had
implemented a more automated hiring process, and better controls over the
process.

“They will need to continue to focus on keeping hiring
timelines low and making additional improvements,” the report said. “If not, as
the economy improves and the IRS competes more with the private sector, the IRS
may encounter difficulties attracting highly qualified candidates.”

Democrats and Republicans have argued over the IRS budget in
recent years, with IRS officials and advocates for the service saying that
cutting staffers hurts the government’s ability to collect revenue and is
self-defeating.

But some Republicans have said that, historically, increases
in the IRS budget have not led to more efficient revenue collection.

As the inspector general report notes, the IRS currently
faces a hiring freeze, though it generally brings on thousands of new employees
a year to help manage the tax filing season. The agency has roughly 100,000
employees in all.