In this episode of The Woodard Report Podcast, Heather Satterley welcomes Eric Green—founder of The Tax Rep Network and one of the nation’s leading experts on IRS representation—to unpack the chaos unfolding at the IRS. With mass layoffs, growing automation, and enforcement heating up, Eric breaks down how tax pros and accountants can step into a critical new advisory role to meet the moment—and build stronger, more profitable practices.
Eric Green explains that recent IRS operational changes are making it harder for taxpayers to get help when they need it. He notes that the agency has laid off more than 2,000 ACS phone support agents and plans to close a third of its taxpayer assistance centers—at the same time that its digital infrastructure still lags behind.
“The ability for people to get to a human being, which was already bad, is going away,” Eric says. “But the online portals aren't really updated yet.”
Meanwhile, enforcement actions are accelerating—not slowing—through automation.
“We got a final notice on $600,000… It’s just all going automated,” he adds.
With fewer humans at the IRS and more confusion for taxpayers, Eric sees a growing demand for representation.
“There are 26 million taxpayers in trouble… and these people need help.”
His advice? Tax pros should upskill now, get credentialed, and learn how the IRS system works from the inside out.
“There’s a huge need—and these folks will pay. If you solve someone’s tax nightmare, you’ve got a client for life.”
AI and automation are transforming the tax practice—but it’s not about replacement. It’s about leverage.
“Now you can build a machine. You go from being an employee of the worst boss in the world—yourself—to actually being a business owner.”
Instead of fearing technology, Eric urges firm owners to use it to increase capacity, reduce overhead, and scale up advisory services.
Heather notes that change is accelerating:
“We're no longer saying, ‘In two years.’ It’s six months now. You’ve got to start training your team and implementing now.”
Eric agrees. Automation in tax isn’t just coming—it’s already improving accuracy, speed, and scalability.
Many tax pros don’t realize how powerful IRS representation can be. If you’re an EA, CPA, or attorney, you can work directly with the IRS and dramatically increase your rates.
“You're billing $150 an hour, you do representation, you're $300. And $300 is dirt cheap. My staff bills higher than that.”
And representation work is sticky: when you solve a client’s crisis, they’ll trust you for everything from tax prep to advisory.
In a preview of his Scaling New Heights session, Eric explains how to reopen final IRS assessments—especially CP2000 mismatches.
“You can do an audit reconsideration. There’s a doubt as to liability offer… You can actually sue in bankruptcy court if it’s a business.”
As automation increases and human review decreases, bad assessments will become more common—and pros who know how to fix them will be in high demand.
Despite public messaging about being more taxpayer-friendly, the IRS is automating aggressively.
“It’s not surgical. It’s a chainsaw approach. That shock to the system is going to take a long time to work its way through.”
Eric’s golden rule for the next 6–12 months?
“There’s an opportunity here. You can literally transform your practice… and you’ll wish you had done it sooner.”
Explore more in The Woodard Report Podcast Episode 121: The IRS Shake-Up: What It Means for Your Firm and Your Clients at woodard.com/podcast.
🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe to The Woodard Report Podcast on your favorite platform for weekly insights on growth, tech, tax, and strategy.
Thank you to our show sponsor, Brex!
Brex accounting partners close clients books faster, earn rewards for referrals and attract new customers all on Brex. Brex's integrated platform provides numerous accounting automation benefits, which enable your accountants to focus on premium advisory services, help clients close the books faster and elevate the overall client experience. To become a Brex accounting firm, visit brex.com/partners/accounting to apply.