U.S. — The National Taxpayer Advocate published a report to Congress on Wednesday stating that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is taking about 20 months to resolve tax-related identity theft cases. More than 500,000 victims of tax-related identity theft are currently awaiting resolution from the agency.

Tax-related identity theft occurs when someone files a tax return to claim a fraudulent refund using a taxpayer's stolen Social Security number. The recently published report outlines advocacy objectives for the upcoming fiscal year, including taxpayer identity theft.

National Taxpayer Advocate Erin Collins oversees the Taxpayer Advocate Service, an independent organization within the IRS. Former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin appointed Collins to the role in 2020. U.S. tax law requires the National Taxpayer Advocate to issue two reports to Congress each year.

Collins stated that for many low- and middle-income taxpayers, waiting nearly two years for a refund is not merely an inconvenience — it can mean falling behind on rent, utilities, transportation costs, and other basic living expenses. She added that for all taxpayers, the delayed process is "frustrating, burdensome, difficult to navigate, and time-consuming."

In fiscal year 2023, the IRS took about 19 months to resolve tax-related identity theft cases and had a backlog of about 484,000 such cases. Collins warned of severe delays tied to taxpayer identity theft in 2023.

At the beginning of the 2026 tax-filing season, the IRS employed 74,000 people. This number represents a 27% decrease from the previous year's total of 102,000 employees.