Discussion of the tax gap and what IRS is doing to close it - Term Paper Example

The latest figures of tax gap estimate signify the initial complete renewal of the report during five years, and it demonstrates the country’s observance level is basically unaffected from the previous evaluation including tax year 2001. The tax gap marker is a useful guide to the level of tax observance as well as to the continuing sources of lesser observance; however, it is not a satisfactory guide to “year-to-year alterations within IRS plans or to year-to-year returns on IRS service and enforcement schemes” (Ward et al, 2013).

The voluntary observance level (percentage of overall tax revenues paid promptly) for the tax year 2006 was around 83.2 percent. The voluntary observance level for 2006 was statistically unaffected from the most recent earlier estimate of 83.7 percent tax year 2001. On a comparative basis, the tax gap is mainly in proportion to the increase in overall tax liabilities. Besides, a little increase in the tax gap estimate is accredited to improved statistics as well as better evaluation techniques.

For instance, IRS formulated the “econometric model” (Kahn & Polsky, 2013) for estimating the tax gap attributable to small businesses which was then used for newer functional information. In addition, large business tax gap for the year 2006 was based on enhanced statistical techniques and modernized information. Moreover, the data linked with individual income tax payers carries on to progress supported by better evaluation methods as well as newer statistics. The tax gap includes three main factors: “non-filing, underreporting and underpayment” (Kahn & Polsky, 2013).

As in the year 2001, the underreporting of earnings was the major cause of the tax gap during 2006. Under-reporting in more or less all taxpayer categories summed up to around 380 billion USD of the gross tax gap during 2006, increased from 290 billion USD during 2001. Tax non-filing summed up for around 30 billion USD during 2006, increased from 29