IRS News 
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- IRS to pay $70M in bonuses, Grassley says
- Senators push Tangherlini for assurances GSA is improving
- As VA works to eliminate one backlog, one more might emerge
- BRAC-like commission proposed to hunt down government cost savings
- Sequestration claims another conference: DHS's GFirst cyber event
- Postal Service closing Capitol Hill post offices in 'symbolic' move
- Senators seek cost cuts for F-35 fighter jet
- Fed pens new furlough song
- Web guru Dorris brings new life to government websites
- EPA CIO Jackson returning to private sector
- Navy strikes enterprise licensing deal with Oracle
- Contractors with security clearances lack path to report problems
- NSA leak case gives vendors reason to reevaluate personnel
- 8 contract executives guilty of 8(a) contracting fraud
- Whistleblower suit leads to $12M false claims settlement by SAIC
- USPS reaches energy reduction goal ahead of schedule
Before furloughs, agencies must negotiate terms with unions
Customs and Border Protection became one of the first civilian agencies to notify the union that represents their employees that they want to begin discussing the implementation of furloughs under sequestration. NTEU and AFGE expect to hear from more agencies in the next two weeks if cuts from sequestration go into effect March 1.
Pelberg creates supportive environment to help IRS staff succeed
Top Leaders in Federal Service award winner Marcia Pelberg considers herself a "servant leader" rather than a general. She's been praised for creating an environment at the Internal Revenue Service that helps staff members to achieve success.
Parker leads IRS Chief Counsel's legal processing staff to success
As director of the Legal Processing Division of the Internal Revenue Service's Chief Counsel office, Michael Parker led his office through high water and low on the road to success. He's leadership skills have earned him the distinction as one of Federal News Radio's Top Leaders in Federal Service.
Committee examining $500 million in IRS contracts
House committee investigating $500 million in contracts between IRS, computer company
Dude, Where's my refund? IRS website overrun
IRS website overwhelmed by people checking status of tax refunds; agency pleads for restraint
IRS program, interagency contracting finally removed from High-Risk list
A total of 30 programs, once again, are considered troubled, including two new areas. But, the Government Accountability Office removed the IRS' Business Systems Modernization program after 18 years on the list, and interagency contracting after 8 years.
Coming Up: Tax talk with Ed Zurndorfer
Ed Zurndorfer, owner of EZ Accounting and Financial Services, will answer your tax questions.
February 11, 2013
IRS budget woes, shrinking staff threaten to derail agency
As the Internal Revenue Service prepares to enter tax season full-bore, the agency is faced with a tightened budget, a shrinking workforce and an ever-more complex and increasing workload. That combination, along with leadership changes at the top of agency, threatens to upend the gains IRS has made over the past few years to better manage its workforce, according to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, an agency watchdog.
Federal Drive Interviews -- Feb. 1, 2013
Sharon Roth of the Merit Systems Protection Board discusses a new survey on federal management. Lt. Cmdr. Jean Marie Sullivan of the Navy Office of Women's Policy talks about the new DoD decision to open up combat jobs to women. Greg Kutz, a senior audit executive with the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Audit, talks about a new report his agency released. Keith Lucas, vice president for AFGE Council 228, discusses a new contract his union signed with the Small Business Administration.
IRS struggling to tackle massive surge in identity theft
Faced with declining resources, the Internal Revenue Service has diverted resources from elsewhere inside the agency to try and head off skyrocketing cases of identity theft stemming from tax refunds.
Agencies making inroads with workforce, succession planning
IRS, DoD and Interior all are pursuing an assortment of initiatives to prepare for personnel reductions. DoD will release an updated workforce strategic plan by 2015. The IRS is using an online assessment tool to measure how ready employees are to move into leadership positions. Interior is getting managers to understand their important role in workforce planning.
IRS reaches 'world class' stature for technology, management processes
The tax agency earned level 3 certifications for the Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) and the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL). Terry Milholland, the IRS CTO, said the standard approach to developing IT systems will increase productivity and capacity, while also bringing in much needed discipline.
Delayed software updates leave IRS computers prone to hackers, auditors say
Thousands of IRS computers could be prone to cyber intruders because officials aren't updating software in a timely manner, according to a report from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.
IRS urged to create IT skills inventory
The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) recommends IRS' chief technology officer create an "inventory list" with the skills needed for each IT position, as well as a process for evaluating an IT employee's skills.
IRS Commissioner Shulman stepping down next month
IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman will leave the agency when his term ends next month, the IRS announced Wednesday. Deputy Commissioner for Services and Enforcement Steven Miller, will serve as acting commissioner after Schulman departs. Shulman's last day will Nov. 9.
Federal agencies owe $14 million in unpaid taxes
The $14 million owed to the U.S. treasury comes from money withheld from federal employees' paychecks that was never turned over to the IRS, according to a new audit from the Treasury Inspector General For Tax Administration. The audit also reviewed whether the IRS made recommended changes following a similar audit five years ago.
With $104M whistleblower payout, IRS hoping money talks
Providing awards to whistleblowers is key to bringing would-be informants forward. And a record $104 million after taxes payout to former UBS banker Bradley Birkenfeld serves as a billboard to whistleblowers that the IRS is willing to pay out for information that helps catch tax cheaters.
6-month spending bill clears Senate hurdle
A spending bill required to avoid a government shutdown at the end of the month has cleared a procedural hurdle in the Senate.
IRS pays whistleblower $104 million
First, the government threw Bradley Birkenfeld in prison for helping a former client at UBS AG hide his wealth from the Internal Revenue Service. Now, as part of the same case, the IRS has awarded the former banker $104 million _ yes, million _ for helping expose the widespread tax evasion scheme by the Swiss banking behemoth.
GSA opens public portal to governmentwide social media registry
The General Services Administration wants to collect all government social media accounts in one single database so the public can trust they are engaging with an official government site. GSA hopes the registry will also provide a better picture of how federal agencies are using social media.
