The IRS puts Timelines in Place for Reviewing Whistleblower Submissions

by | Jun 22, 2012 | Award Determinations, IRS Whistleblower Office | 12 comments

The IRS has adopted internal timelines for how long the IRS has to act on whistleblower submissions according to a field directive sent to the agency’s operating divisions on June 20, 2012.  According to the field directive, Deputy Commissioner Steven T. Miller is asking that the following timelines are adhered to:

  • Whistleblower Office – claims received should be initially evaluated by the Whistleblower Office within 90 days.
  • Operating Divisions and Criminal Investigation – review by subject matter experts should be completed within 90 days of receipt.
  • Whistleblower Office – whistleblowers should be notified of an award decision within 90 days of when collected proceeds can be finally determined.

If followed, these timelines will greatly affect whistleblower case resolution as currently the whistleblower office takes on average 131 days to review a submission and field examinations average 299 days according to the IRS Whistleblower Office’s Fiscal Year 2011 Annual Report, which is discussed in further detail here.

Lynam Knott