More Bad Press for IRS Outsourcing

The New York Times picked up on the IRS tax collection privatization story yesterday, with a headline that doesn't exactly mince words: "Taxpayer Advocate Says Outsourcing at I.R.S. Is Inept."

This, of course, isn't the first time that the taxpayer advocate, Nina Olson, has raised concerns about the IRS effort to use private debt collection firms. But this kind of mainstream media attention to the issue may put the program in jeopardy, especially if it becomes a factor in the confirmation hearings of Douglas H. Shulman, whose nomination to head the agency is pending in the Senate.

Update: Oops. As I should have known, Shulman already has had his confirmation hearing. In fact, the Senate approved his nomination early this morning.