CBS Austin: IRS's Austin office will stay open to process Tax Returns and maintain jobs, Doggett says

AUSTIN, Texas — The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced Thursday it will halt the planned 2024 closure of its Austin Tax Processing Center.

According to a press release from U.S. Congressional Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), keeping the Austin facility open will better allow the agency to support the workforce needed to process 10 million outstanding paper returns from last year - on top of new returns from this season.

The Austin office, located at 3651 S I-35, is one of three remaining IRS facilities which process paper returns.

The decision will also save jobs in Austin, empower the center to better recruit and keep local talent, and serve taxpayers nationwide by reducing processing delays and more quickly getting taxpayers across the country their rebate checks, the press release said.

“Great day for Austin workers and for Austin taxpayers—as well as taxpayers nationwide,” said Rep. Lloyd Doggett. “Keeping our IRS Center running means more tax returns will be processed in a timely manner with quicker rebates and Child Tax Credit payments. Austin workers gain job security while the agency gains the ability to recruit more Central Texas talent. I’m pleased that our request was approved to meet both the growing needs for taxpayer service and the need for job security for Austin workers.”

The previously-planned 2024 closure of the Austin facility was part of a long-standing plan to consolidate paper return processing at the agency. Given the extensive paper backlog and hiring challenges that have plagued the agency for the last two filing seasons, this was no longer in the interest of either taxpayers or workers, Doggett and other lawmakers argued today.