Last week, the Internal Revenue Service’s Office of Chief Counsel announced plans to hire up to 200 additional attorneys. The IRS is focusing on hiring experienced litigators with court room experience. New hires will work in a variety of areas, including handling cases in the United States Tax Court, as well as serving on trial teams in our largest and most complex trials involving fact and expert witnesses, depositions and multi-week trials. They will also work with the Department of Justice Tax Division, which handles refund cases in district courts and the Court of Federal Claims.
In its announcement, the IRS specifically focused on specific abusive tax schemes, including syndicated conservation easements and abusive micro-captive insurance arrangements. These new hires will help the IRS manage the increasing caseload in its multi-year effort to stamp out these abusive schemes and ensure that those participating in them pay the tax they owe plus penalties.
This announcement sends a signal that the IRS is expanding additional resources in hiring more employees to combat tax fraud and abusive tax schemes. New attorneys who will focus on tax litigation and development of cases will assist new Revenue Agents being hired by the agency.