The IRS did better than expected getting refunds out to taxpayers during the 2026 tax season despite massive cuts to its workforce, but the national taxpayer advocate says taxpayers who needed human help were left behind.

"Taxpayers who required assistance from the IRS often struggled to get it," said Erin M. Collins, who leads the independent watchdog agency of the IRS.

Collins earlier this year warned that the 2026 tax filing season was likely to present challenges for taxpayers who encounter problems with filing their taxes given the exodus of IRS workers since the start of the Trump administration.