IRS Closing 68 Taxpayer Assistance Centers

I would like to make some smart alecky comment about how the kinder and gentler IRS should be helping more peope instead of fewer, but I just can't make myself do it. Instead I'll just point out that this is one more thing to attribute to the Internet, and leave it at that.

The Internal Revenue Service announced plans Friday to close 68 sites nationwide where taxpayers can get face-to-face help with tax issues.

The IRS said fewer people visit the agency's 400 assistance centers as more taxpayers turn to Web site and telephone services. More than 7.6 million people used walk in sites last year, down from almost 9 million the year before.

And 7.6 million people still sounds like a lot of people to me. Perhaps not everyone has (gasp*choke*sputter) access to the Internet!