Area 1 Committee Meeting Minutes

May 10-12, 2006
Cranston Central Library
140 Sockanosset Cross Road
Cranston, RI 02920

Wednesday May 10, 2006, 3:00PM - 5:00PM EDT

Designated Federal Official

• Gorga, Peter — LTA, DFO

Committee Members Present

• Barry, Shaun — Franklin Square, NY
• Epstein, Harvey — Lee, NH, Vice Chair & Subcommittee 1 Chair
• Gadon, Harold — Cranston, RI
• Guthman, Michael — Westport, CT
• Havey, Dorothy — Lincolnville, ME, Chair
• Margulies, Howard — North Easton, MA
• Parra, Luis — Bronx, NY
• Searleman, Sanford — Glens Falls, NY
• Zgoda, Bruce — Clarence, NY

Committee Members Absent

• Hom, Gim — Acton, MA, Subcommittee 2 Chair

TAP Staff

• Coston, Bernie — TAP Director
• Jenkins, Audrey — TAP Analyst
• Ramirez, Sandra — Program Manager
• Odom-Russell, Meredith — Management Assistant

Welcome/Review of Agenda
Havey opened the meeting at 3:05 pm welcoming all members and IRS staff. Havey rearranged a couple of items on the agenda to help the flow of the meeting.

Roll Call
Quorum Met

Joint Committee Report
Havey stated that the 3 recommendations from Area 1; Form 1098, Form 1096 and the Schedule D have gone forth to the quality review team of the Joint Committee and will be discussed at the June 7, 2006 at 1:00 pm EDT. Havey asked that all involved to please be present on the call to address any questions that may arise.

National Office Update
Tap recruitment closed on April 28, 2006. There were 744 final online applications. This number does not include the applications that were both mailed and faxed. Only the mailed applications that are post marked April 28th and prior will be accepted. To date there are only 28 slots to be filled. There will be 2-3 people for each slot. Applications will be ranked the last week May by a committee; this will take place in Milwaukee. Interviewing will be done via telephone and members will be called upon to help. Applicants will be in seven categories and each will be notified with one of 7 different letters that will mailed out. The letters include non-qualified, interview letters, acceptance letters, thank you, etc. The website will also be updated to keep taxpayers notified. Finalists’ nominations will go to Treasury by September.

Use of Phone Card for Calls
Jenkins gave out instructions for each member to set up teleconferences using their assigned AT&T calling cards. This will allow each member to set up a teleconference without relying on Jenkins. There have been instances where there were requests for more than one conference at the same time, because the subcommittees were all using Jenkins’ assigned number, it has been some difficulties.

• Dial 800-526-526-2655 and provide the following information:

• For first time users, the AT&T Representative will ask you if you have a Folder ID. You will say no and the AT&T Rep will assign a Folder ID to you. (PLEASE WRITE IT DOWN)

• PLEASE WRITE IT DOWN and retain folder ID for future use

• Agency Bureau Code = “2011”

• Calling Card # (10 digit # only)

• Call-type = TOLL FREE DIAL-IN SERVICE (participants dial on Toll Free number to access the conference bridge. The host assumes responsibility for all charges related to call.

• Date, time, time zone and duration

• Number of ports required

Thursday, May 11, the meeting begins at 8:30 AM sharp. Please meet in the lobby 8:15 AM so we could travel together.

Outreach Plan
Havey informed that committee that she was interested in adding Outreach to the monthly meeting agenda. She was interested in the committee doing some brainstorming;

• What has worked well?

• What has not worked well?

• Who to contact?

• Where do you go?

• How can staff help relay information and open doors?

• How to get issues from taxpayers?

Havey suggested the committee make contacts, find locations, and seek help from TAP staff when doing outreach. Make sure you put in all outreach requests and get approval before doing it. Remember to file reimbursement vouchers timely. Be sure to get issues from taxpayers. Ramirez reminded the committee that outreach is another way of getting the word out about TAP. Coston suggested becoming innovative when it comes to outreach. SPEC (Stakeholder, Partnership, Education and Communication is a good source.

Issue Committee Update
Havey suggested that everyone should share what is going on in their issue committees and that she was interested in adding this item to the monthly meeting agenda.

Town Hall Pre-Meeting
Havey reviewed the assignments and asked everyone to please mingle with the public to strike up conversation to get the issues.

Thursday, May 11, 2006, 8:30AM-5:00PM EDT

Havey called the meeting to order at 8:40 AM.

Roll Call
Quorum met

Hal received a standing ovation for the organization of the Town Hall.

National Office Update
Coston asked if there is anything the members would like from the national office?

• Harvey – Subcommittee 1 is concentrating mostly on forms becoming more computerized. We should be able to do so without going through another committee.

• Guthman – next year when National office goes over issue committees you should think about making a forms committee.

• Margulies – there should be a technology subcommittee.

• Barry – what is going on technology with the modernization efforts? Jenkins will provide the members with the strategic plans for all organizations.

• Guthman-the issues that the committee has dealt with are not intellectually challenging. We have not dealt with hard issues. Bernie asked for clarification. On a lot of the issues, the committee has been brought in at the end of the line. The committees are not working with groups of IRS employees as they are working on the issues. Bernie explained that TAP is trying to go in that direction. IRS is starting to take TAP more seriously and providing the committees with more challenging assignments.

• Zgoda - TAP is relatively young. An IRS employee stated they were not thrilled that they were going to be working with a bunch of volunteers until they realized they were a bunch of intelligent individuals. There needs to be more awareness and outreach within the IRS itself.

• Gorga – reminded the committee that their changes are not mundane. All of your changes make our jobs at the IRS easier. From the IRS stand point it makes a big impact on the organization. Nothing is too small.

• Searlman – Tap Speak is wonderful, making things more efficient.

• Bernie asked that everyone please send all recommendations relating to Tap Speak to the Communications Committee.

• Havey - Tap Speak is allowing all of the committee to get all information at once. I appreciate that all information is present.

• Barry - many of the members are CPAs. I would like see us get more issues from the Association of CPA of New York. Bernie reminded the members that in the past TAP has participated at the Tax Forums and the TAP members walked away with no issues. This year TAP has decided to go with the Town Hall approach instead which has brought a host of issues. Barry suggested that we send a link to the TAP website as an additional outreach.

• Gadon – would like to see the LTAs have a closer relationship with their congressional members, ABA, CPA.

• Parra -Tap Speak is the best way to communicate to the members, the message states what was posted which are the best thing. I receive a lot of emails and don’t have time to read them. I am on the Communications Committee, If you have any issues regarding Tap Speak, please give them to me.

• Havey – suggest that at the annual meeting, the new members should have hands on training on Tap Speak. Some people are hands on. This will eliminate problems we new members.

• Gadon – LITCs are not doing some self policing. The Schedule D issue been around for a while; I am glad that it was sent forward.

• Coston has gone to the program owner for timelines so we will know that our work is not in vain. Denise Fayne is no longer in charge of forms and pubs. Sue Sottile has agreed to meet with Coston monthly. Coston stated that sometimes there are numerous items and some could be implemented and some cannot.

• Zgoda – Some EITC forms are not clear. For example there are some situations where there are 4 families living at the same address and they all receive the EITC. He will be working on the issue and forward it to the EITC committee. The New York State Society Board of CPAs is going to their clients to get issues. He has mentioned that he is interested in going to senior organizations to speak.

• Havey – The state of Maine does not have the same things available like other states. For example, forms are not always available at the local Libraries and Post Office. There is a segment of the population that will be lost in the world of technology. Please continue the Town Hall Meeting. Coston and Ramirez will discuss how they will address the future Area 1 Town Hall Meetings.

Town Hall Debrief
Gadon stated that it was not easy to get people to the meeting. He suggested that the time should be reconsidered because late in the evening is not always the best. He also suggested that there should be conference calls earlier with everyone involved, (for example: local media specialist, LTA, etc.) no matter how far in advance. There should be constant contact. This way everyone will know exactly what they are responsible for. Some of the local media venues need things 6 weeks in advance. If you want to have a focus group there should be a sign with specific topics to address. Location should be considered making sure there is ample parking and easy to get to. There should be more than one person working on each Town Hall. Gorga stated that if we were aware of some of the local issues, we could concentrate on those issues in a focus group for that purpose. Separate rooms for focus groups.

Margulies suggest limiting taxpayer discussion. Searlman went to the door and escorted people back for the focus groups. It was difficult to get people back because of the socializing. We have to get them before they leave. The public did not understand that the Town Hall was not the entire purpose of the meeting. They were not aware of the Area meeting and did not understand what it was. All surveys are being analyzed for potential issues. Nina’s presentation was excellent and well received. We can count on her to continue these Town Hall Meetings. There are numerous issues that come out of these meetings. All of the issues from this Town Hall meeting are for Area 1. The representative from the Senator’s Office was a plus. It would make the citizens more comfortable. We should reach out to them on a regular basis. The logistics of the Library was very important. The refreshments were excellent. That was a plus.

Issue Assignment
Issues arising out of the Town meeting were listed and then assigned to a subcommittee to be worked. The Area 1 Committee then adjourned to allow time for the subcommittee to work the issues. The results of the subcommittee efforts would be reviewed by the Area 1 Committee on Friday.

Friday, May 12, 2006, 8:30AM – 11:00AM EDT

Roll Call
Quorum met

Public Participation
Robert Jackson, Regional Coordinator-AARP Tax Aide Program

Issue Assignment Review

Subcommittee 1
Form 8300 – vague language regarding ‘suspicious” and “related”, should be able to file electronically

W4/W4P – Memorandum

E-File Fee – paying the $15 fee to file return is counter productive.

E-File – data being sent through a 3rd party.

Stall Letter

Envelopes “containing tax information enclosed”

Subcommittee 2
EITC – Forms, in instructions & Software

Installment Letter - notify taxpayer of penalty, interest and balance. Penalty and interest is still accruing, interest rate status.

Form 8453 – self select pin, file electronically

Items Approved be Consensus
W4/W4P memorandum to be forwarded to the Adhoc program owners

E-File Fee Letter to be forwarded to Nina.

Action Items
Jenkins

• Research status of stall letter from committee notes
• Research comparing the level of confidentiality required of companies that receive returns in order to forward them to the IRS for processing vs. the information that the IRS shares with them.
• Determine if there is a way to e-file a single Form 8300?
• Form 8453 verses Form 8879. How many Form 8453s are filed by paid preparers? And how many Form 8879’s filed? Same issue is worked in the TCE/VITA Committee?

Margulies

• Write up recommendation on Form 8300 vague language

Barry

• Write up recommendation on the stall letter

Guthman

• Compose letter to IRS on communication

Zgoda

• Write a letter to the EITC Program Owners on the instructions for both the forms and instructions.
• Write up recommendation letter on Installment Letter

Gadon

• Write proposal on Form 8453