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Rettig Announces Taxpayer First Act Office

SEP. 5, 2019

Rettig Announces Taxpayer First Act Office

DATED SEP. 5, 2019
DOCUMENT ATTRIBUTES
  • Authors
    Rettig, Charles P.
  • Institutional Authors
    Internal Revenue Service
  • Subject Area/Tax Topics
  • Jurisdictions
  • Tax Analysts Document Number
    2019-41765
  • Tax Analysts Electronic Citation
    2019 TNTF 213-16

A Message from Chuck Rettig
IRS Commissioner

When asked to serve as Commissioner, I accepted that nomination for two reasons: one, to in this manner serve the country I love and two, to make a difference in the way we serve taxpayers through a fair and impartial tax system. Throughout my career, I've been inspired by the commitment and professionalism of IRS employees whom I am proud to work alongside. Together, I know we've all seen ways we can work differently to truly put the taxpayer first. The Taxpayer First Act (TFA) is exciting and transformative legislation that gives us an opportunity to identify how we can build on our great history while potentially modifying our operations to reflect evolving taxpayer expectations and the changing tax environment.

The digital world many live in today is significantly different than it was when we changed the IRS operational model almost 20 years ago. We must be positioned to be responsive to present and future interactions with taxpayers and others, to provide “best in class” services to those who reach out to us, and to effectively reach out to those who fail to properly respect their filing and reporting obligations.

Implementing this complex legislation is not going to be easy. Our leadership team understands the challenges that are ahead of us, acknowledging the work we are faced with while implementing the TFA. This important work is in addition to — and must be aligned with — our ongoing efforts to implement the 21st Century IDEA Act, while advancing our 2018-2022 Strategic Plan and achieving Integrated Modernization Business Plan milestones, including critical initiatives such as Enterprise Case Management (ECM). Over the course of the coming year, we will make significant progress in each of these areas while continuing our core operations: running the filing season, collecting the revenue that funds our country, enhancing the overall taxpayer experience and enforcing tax laws in a fair, impartial manner.

To best approach these challenges, and to make sure our TFA efforts are focused and well-coordinated, I have asked my Chief of Staff, Lia Colbert, to launch and lead the TFA Office. Lisa Beard, former acting deputy commissioner of SB/SE, Rob Ragano, associate CIO for Applications Development in IT, and Jim Clifford, Director of Customer Account Services in W&I, will be joining Lia to oversee the Servicewide implementation of TFA provisions. The TFA Office will be responsible for implementing specific TFA provisions, while also maintaining the appropriate level of Servicewide coordination and integration for BOD-owned provisions. Lia, Lisa, Rob, Jim and I will work closely with NTEU on this effort and are committed to continuously engaging you to gather feedback and provide regular updates through a variety of means both online and in conversations with your business unit leadership.

Your vision for the IRS of the future is important. The success of our country depends, in part, on the success of the IRS. And our agency's success depends on each of us. Everyone is important, none more or less so than any others. Over the coming weeks, you will be hearing more from me and your leadership team about our progress, and you'll have opportunities to ask questions and give us your feedback. I am excited by the opportunities along the path that lies ahead of us. Implementing the TFA gives us the opportunity to address the needs and interests of both taxpayers and our employees and by working together, I am confident we will succeed.

DOCUMENT ATTRIBUTES
  • Authors
    Rettig, Charles P.
  • Institutional Authors
    Internal Revenue Service
  • Subject Area/Tax Topics
  • Jurisdictions
  • Tax Analysts Document Number
    2019-41765
  • Tax Analysts Electronic Citation
    2019 TNTF 213-16
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