The IRS will be closing their Philadelphia service center in 2007.

Yes, sitting in front of an IBM 3270E all day is not fun [and you can't even surf the Internet from it on your lunch break], but it was a good source of backup-income.

Not anymore! The service center facility closes after the run of 2006 tax returns is completed.

[Note to readers: an IRS Service Center is their operation that deals with processing incoming tax forms---that is the part of the business (which is heavily staffed) that is closing. They will not be shutting down their audit and control operations here--those stay.]

If you mail paper forms and 941 payments in (which most employers don't, usually your bank can handle Form 941), you will be sending those forms to Andover, most likely---or they will be collected at Philadelphia then sent elsewhere to be keypunched.

__________________
Buh-bye.

They are downsizing due to the large amount of electronic filings.

productivity will spike in 10/07 as workers find useful jobs.

__________________
"You down wit OPM?"
Fumo: "Yeah, you know me!"

Pfft yeah right. Most of those terminal operators and mail shop workers are going to be sitting at home watching Days Of Our Lives and collecting 12 months of unemployment before they find anything substantive.

Well... unless they search for jobs in New Jersey--I hear there's plenty of menial work available over there.

__________________
Buh-bye.

I used to work there. In fact, last week was the two year anniversary of my quitting. Among other things, I was tired of being pressed to do more work than others.

Michael:

I worked for the "treasury department" as well...back in the 80s.....and I wound up quitting after I found out "things you're not supposed to know"...plus I got this conscience thing going....
Used to be sign posted around the facilities for the field agents...
"Seizure Fever..Catch It".

That speaks VOLUMES!
Let's just say that a lot of practices in that agency are questionable beyond belief, and let it go at that, K?

Some things I can't discuss, but let's just say that what is in your manual...'ain't necessarily so"...the only rule is that there ARE no rules!

And there ARE those GS's that do "all" the work, while too many others do as little as their federally-sponsored lives will allow, as they show their photo IDs to the guard at the gate from the window of their NEW _______ (insert make & model of vehicle)!

Been there...seen that.

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We're ALL in the same boat...just at DIFFERENT oars!

Bob G.

Yah...

More scrub looking suburban housing!

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"

The Service is making a number of changes in the name of cost control. There is a lot of pressure from the current administration for them to "crack down" on taxpayers, all while being overloaded on cases.

I clerked for the Service in the mid 90s. In the attorneys' department, there aren't even enough desks for the employees. It's not popular to give money to those who collect from the taxpayers, so the conditions there are NOT cushy. Far from it. And the salaries stink.

So this closing is hardly surprising. They can couch it in terms of "e-filing" all they want. It's really about cost-cutting.

Don't be surprised if your already long wait on the phone gets even longer...

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www.taxgirl.com

they should fire all of them. from what I understand from people who work for them in DC, it's a pathetic organization. I also understand that their systems are in such a mess that no one wants to touch it. i believe I've read somewhere that the US spends more to collect taxes than most countries but I'm not sure. I'm not surprised either, we can't seem to do anything efficiently through our government .

__________________
"You down wit OPM?"
Fumo: "Yeah, you know me!"

Well, I never did think even IRS Legal was a glam job, even when I only interacted with Customer Service and the E-Filing department when I worked for H&R Block. There were some nice people in Tax Research (various departments), which were very helpful with some extremely unusual cases.

My mom is actually responsible for a few case examples that are found in Publication 17. [She is also an IRS Enrolled Agent]

One job that does pay well is defending clients in US Tax Court. That job sure does pay beaucomp.

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Buh-bye.