According to Journal of Accountancy, this year’s tax season saw measurable improvements in IRS hotline service, according to an AICPA survey. However, members are still uneasy about the agency’s long-term direction. 

Fifty-seven percent of CPAs reported getting timely, accurate responses from the IRS Practitioner Priority Service (PPS) line in 2025, up significantly from 37% the year prior. Fewer respondents (only 14%) said they never or rarely got answers without being transferred or told the issue was out of scope, compared to 37% last year. 

“The IRS did answer the phone, and there was improvement there,” said Melanie Lauridsen, AICPA’s vice president of tax policy and advocacy, during a recent AICPA Town Hall. 

But for all the progress, the broader picture is mixed. Roughly 30% of respondents said they were satisfied with overall IRS service this year, about the same as 2024. Satisfaction remains far below pre-COVID levels, back in 2019 that figure stood at 44%.

More pressing are the concerns about what’s next. 70% of members said they’re worried about how political interference and budget uncertainty will affect IRS operations, up from 22% last year. Two-thirds said they are concerned about last-minute tax law changes. Processing delays and vague guidance also ranked high on the list. 

“The services have pretty much flat-lined,” Lauridsen said. “That’s not necessarily bad, but it’s not good either.”