The reason for the steady decline: Budget cuts that will leave the agency operating at a level that is 17% below where it was 5 years ago.
That is going to result in even more staff cuts, particularly in the agency's enforcement division, Koskinen said.
But that doesn't mean you should cut corners.
"It's still not a good time to start cheating," Koskinen said, noting that while the agency wants to work with filers who may have made mistakes on their returns, it doesn't tolerate brazen cheaters.