The Senate Finance Committee and the House Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee will hold hearings on IRS operations this week.
The Senate committee will focus on new protections for so-called innocent spouses, interest and penalty limits imposed by last year's IRS reform bill, and other matters. Senate Finance Chairman William Roth, R-Del., said late last week that there will be additional oversight hearings on the bill, especially as mandated reports are issued.
Roth noted his particular concern over reports that people who testified against the IRS last year have faced retaliation.
IRS Commissioner Charles Rossotti said he believes 40 percent of IRS employees are resistant to a change in the culture of the agency, according to Roth.
The Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee will review how the IRS' $8.2 billion budget request can accommodate a workload that this year will include answering over 120 million phone calls and processing some 90 million returns.
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