Tax season kicks off with IRS short on staff

Tax season kicked off last Monday, and the biggest question on most taxpayers’ minds is how quickly they will get their refunds. Receiving a refund can normally take up to six weeks, but staffing issues at the agency might make that turnaround time much longer.

Customer service is a big part of making tax seasons successful, and the Internal Revenue Service is one of the lowest-scoring agencies in that area, according to the Taxpayer Advocate Service annual report to Congress for 2019.