Following a new Government Accountability Office report that found the Internal Revenue Service deficient in several key operating areas, accounting and finance professionals responded to a survey that questioned the IRS's ability to do its job this year.
Only nine percent were "fully confident" that the IRS could handle this year's tax season effectively, but 69 percent were mostly or somewhat confident.
A troublesome 22 percent were pointedly "not confident."
The respondents were more confident in themselves. Eighty-one percent considered themselves "on schedule" or ready to roll for the upcoming tax season, though 14 percent were just beginning to think about it.
Five percent didn't even want to think about it.
Most saw money coming. Just over three-quarters foresaw their revenue and profits rising somewhat or significantly.
Nobody saw revenue decreasing significantly. Almost a quarter expect no change in their number of clients, and only 7 percent expected a decrease.
What will have the greatest impact on the filing season? For 68 percent, it will be clients late or unprepared. Just over half expected problems with new rules and regulations, last minute changes by the government, and technology problems.
Few said they were concerned with local competition, but 18 percent were worried that the national economy would affect their business. Just over a quarter were worried about having enough staff. Just as many feared screw-ups at the IRS.
Of 14 respondents who offered expanded comment, six complained about some aspect of the IRS: its operations, its software, its failure to deliver on promises.
Another three complained about the challenge of regulation and legislation. One worried about competition from the cheap and unskilled.
One worried about uncooperative clients. One foresaw a satisfying journey to exhaustion.
And one believed the tax season would be "uneventful."
