One in five calls answered on IRS identity theft line, watchdog says
Despite processing nearly 139 million tax returns in 2026, the IRS left millions of taxpayers facing refund delays, identity-theft backlogs and limited phone access, the National Taxpayer Advocate says.
The IRS processed nearly 139 million returns in 2026, but millions of taxpayers still experienced refund delays, identity-theft backlogs and difficulty reaching IRS phone lines, National Taxpayer Advocate Erin Collins said. Her report adds that only one in five calls to the IRS identity-theft line are being answered, highlighting ongoing service shortfalls.