Taxpayer Advocate to Hold Public Forum in Washington
IR-2016-75
- Institutional AuthorsInternal Revenue Service
- Subject Area/Tax Topics
- Jurisdictions
- LanguageEnglish
- Tax Analysts Document NumberDoc 2016-9677
- Tax Analysts Electronic Citation2016 TNT 90-22
May 9, 2016
WASHINGTON -- National Taxpayer Advocate Nina E. Olson will hold a public forum on taxpayer service on Tuesday, May 17, at 10:00 AM at the IRS Headquarters Building in Washington, DC. Members of the public and the media may attend by following the procedures described below.
Building on initiatives already implemented, the IRS for the past two years has been developing a "Future State" plan that envisions how it will operate in five years and beyond. It is continuing to develop a path for how it gets from its "Current State" to the "Future State," including refinements to the vision along the way. A central component of the plan is the creation of online taxpayer accounts as a convenient but non-exclusive channel through which taxpayers will be able to obtain information from and interact with the IRS.
In the National Taxpayer Advocate's 2015 Annual Report to Congress, Ms. Olson expressed concerns about whether the IRS's "Future State" plan adequately addresses taxpayer needs. She recommended the IRS solicit comments from taxpayers and tax professionals regarding the "Future State" plan, including their thoughts on the extent to which taxpayers will continue to need telephone and in-person assistance. To further public awareness and dialogue, she announced plans to hold a series of public forums around the country. The objective of the public forums is to ensure the "Future State" plan will better reflect the needs and preferences of U.S. taxpayers as they seek to comply with the tax code.
The May 17 public forum will feature three invited panels, including:
Panel 1
Lawrence B. Gibbs
Member, Miller & Chevalier
Washington, DC
Former Commissioner, Internal Revenue Service
Caroline Bruckner, Executive in Waiting
Accounting & Taxation Managing Director
Kogod Tax Policy Center
American University
Washington, DC
Marylouise Serrato, Executive Director
American Citizens Abroad
Rockville, Md.
Johnette Hartnett, Ed.D, Senior Director
Strategy & Research
National Disability Institute
Washington, DC
Eric L. Green, Attorney at Law
Green & Sklarz, LLC
New Haven, Conn.
Representative, Section of Taxation
American Bar Association
Troy K. Lewis, CPA
Lewis & Associates, CPAs, LLC
Draper, Utah
Chair, Tax Executive Committee
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
Robert Kerr, Senior Director
Government Relations
National Association of Enrolled Agents
Washington, DC
John Ams, Executive Vice President
National Society of Accountants
Alexandria, Va.
Rick Parrish, Senior Analyst
Forrester Research, Inc.
Cambridge, Mass.
Tina Orem, Staff Writer
Nerd Wallet
San Francisco
John Sapp, CPA
Vice President of Strategic Development
Drake Software
Franklin, N.C.
Chair, Council for Electronic Revenue Communication Advancement
For information about the forum, go to TaxpayerAdvocate.irs.gov/public-forums.
About the Taxpayer Advocate Service
The Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) is an independent organization within the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that helps taxpayers and protects taxpayer rights. Your local advocate's number is in your local directory and at taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov. You can also call TAS toll-free at 1-877-777-4778. TAS can help if you need assistance resolving an IRS problem, if your problem is causing financial difficulty, or if you believe an IRS system or procedure isn't working as it should. And our service is free. For more information about TAS and your rights under the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, go to taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov. You can get updates on tax topics at facebook.com/YourVoiceAtIRS, Twitter.com/YourVoiceatIRS, and YouTube.com/TASNTA.
- Institutional AuthorsInternal Revenue Service
- Subject Area/Tax Topics
- Jurisdictions
- LanguageEnglish
- Tax Analysts Document NumberDoc 2016-9677
- Tax Analysts Electronic Citation2016 TNT 90-22