The IRS should be more transparent in communicating its telephone service metrics by including in the metrics more phone lines that taxpayers call and by covering the entire fiscal year and not just filing season, an agency watchdog said in a report.

Staff cuts at the IRS could mean tax professionals become more responsible for explaining the provisions of H.R. 1, P.L. 119-21, commonly known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), a former IRS communications chief said during AICPA Town Hall last week.

The IRS said Thursday it will delay making changes to certain information returns or withholding tables, as part of its phased implementation of H.R. 1, P.L. 119-21, commonly known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1), until tax year 2026. This includes changes related to the temporary deductions for overtime and certain tips that were part of the legislation.

Although Commissioner Billy Long said last week that the next tax filing season will open in mid-February, the IRS said Tuesday that an official start date has not been set.

The IRS should quickly provide guidance regarding the recently enacted Sec. 174A, Amortization of Research and Experimental Expenditures, so thatsmall businesses know how to treat domestic research costs on their returns for the 2024 filing period, the AICPA said in a letter dated July 31.