IRS whistleblower program progress, challenges

Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa today made the following comment on the Internal Revenue Service's 2014 whistleblower program report to Congress. Grassley authored the 2006 whistleblower office improvements.

"The point of the whistleblower office changes was to encourage the IRS to work as closely as possible with whistleblowers to rein in tax cheats and return money to the U.S. Treasury.  It seems the IRS has made some progress but there's always danger of moving backward if the IRS' focus changes or if whistleblowers stop coming forward out of fear of poor results, such as the seeming lack of urgency in the processing of awards.  I'll continue to look for progress and even more evidence that the IRS is offering a welcome mat to whistleblowers."