IRS weighs AI triage for identity theft backlog nearing 257,000 cases

The IRS is considering using AI to assess the complexity of identity theft cases and route them to employees as it struggles with a backlog that has left victims waiting an average of nearly 20 months. A TIGTA audit found 256,988 unresolved cases as of July 2026, against a 120-day resolution goal.

• Average wait for an identity theft case was 582 days as of June 2025
• Cases sat unassigned for an average of 533 days
• IDTVA assistors fell from 1,548 in fiscal 2024 to 1,173 in fiscal 2025
• IRS paid about $124.2 million in interest on delayed refunds in fiscal 2023–2025