Area 1 Committee Meeting Minutes
April 17, 2007
Teleconference                      

Designated Federal Official

• Fallacaro, Betsy - Boston, MA - LTA

Committee Members Present (These attendees count for quorum)

• Barry, Shaun - Franklin Square, NY - Member
• Chen, Betty - New York, NY - Member
• Colombo, Paul - Colchester, VY - Member
• Gadon, Harold - Cranston, RI - Member
• Havey, Dorothy - Lincolnville, ME - Chair
• Hom, Gim - Acton, MA - Member
• Jason, Julie - Greenwich, CT - Vice Chair
• Margulies, Howard - North Easton, MA - Member
• Whiteside, Deidra - Buffalo, NY - Member
• Zgoda, Bruce - Clarence, NY - Member

Committee Members Absent

• Epstein, Harvey - Lee, NH - Member
• Parra, Luis - Bronx, NY - Member

TAP Staff

• Knispel, Marisa - Brooklyn, NY - Member
• Odom, Meredith - Brooklyn, NY - Member

Other Attendees
None

Welcome/Announcements/Review Agenda
Havey Welcomed all members and staff.

Roll Call (quorum has been met)

Joint Committee Report
Havey informed the committee that recommendation from Area 2 and 6 were both deferred. Havey didn’t have a chance to submit the Area 1 gold star proposal. The Joint Committee is looking for issue to be brought forward to the Commissioner. Any suggestions should be sent to Audrey. Recruitment for next year is going well. There were 185 complete applications and 180 in draft form. Knispel informed the committee that there are 2 final for VT, 3 for RI, 5 for NH, 6 for ME and 12 for MA. Gadon, Havey and Epstein have served their term as TAP members and will not return next yr. The Taxpayer Advocate Budget has been approved. Town Hall Meetings have taken place in Brooklyn, Atlanta, Omaha and Phoenix and upcoming is Milwaukee, San Diego and Raleigh. New Staff, Walker will be the manager for the Milwaukee office and Anita Fields is the management assistant in the Florida office. TAP Recruitment is doing well.

Outreach Opportunity
Fallacaro informed the committee that she is trying to get a booth at the Boston AARP National Convention in Boston. This will be held in September. Fallacaro asked that some members come in and help with the booth. In June, Fallacaro will visit all retro offices in the state and asked if a member would like to come along. Fallacaro is putting a book together for the staffers which will include TAP information.

Subcommittee Report-Out
Subcommittee 1

• Dorothy will present the Letter concerning 'Gold Star' recognition program at the next Joint Committee meeting (tomorrow).
• 3 day rule for vita e-file transmission -Audrey provided reading matter concerning electronic filing.  After review of the material, it was not specific reference to filing within 3 days; rather the guidance was for everyone or just VITA or just to file promptly.  Audrey will continue to research the source of the 3 day requirement, with special emphasis on whether it is a general rule or applies only to volunteer preparer’s use/disclosure protections for e-filers as well as find a subject matter expert. Note was taken of proposed legislation to allow taxpayers to file electronically directly with the IRS.
• Difficulty in obtaining paper forms without a computer or computer skills; the difficulty of obtaining paper forms was noted as a counterpoint to Director Everson’s announcement of the increase in e-filing this year.  It was mentioned that providing forms for taxpayers is an unfunded mandate for Libraries since post offices seem to have opted out of the program.  Also, one volume of the Form X book was not available until last week.

Subcommittee 2

• The Subcommittee is finalizing its proposal to eliminate the use of the Self-Select PIN for practitioners and replace it with the use of the Practitioner PIN.
• The Subcommittee is also finalizing the proposal to change the regulations governing the Specific Identification method to calculate the cost basis of stock. 
• The Subcommittee is finalizing its letter to the IRS that addresses their response the Area 1 Committee’s proposed Carry Forward line of the capital loss on the Schedule D.

Outreach Report-out by Members

• Zgoda was interviewed by a Buffalo local television station but the interview was unable to be televised. Zgoda informed the committee that his Survey Committee for Customer Service will meet in the month of May to complete the survey.

• Colombo had 2 meetings with management for a club that he belongs to. He will speak to the members of this organization on the 20th of June. In Burlington, VT, TAP Speak-Up posters will be displayed and TAP Marketing Materials will be distributed.

• Havey has an event coming up at a business conference in Washington County in the state of ME.  Havey will have a table set up to discuss and distribute TAP Materials.

• Jason has an National Public Radio Program interview scheduled in the near future.

• Hom and Margulies met with 2 Congressional Aides in Boston and discussed tax issues. Hom found out that Taxpayers who have tax problems with the IRS often write to their congressman and the congressman usually sends the information back to the IRS.

Issue Committee Update

• Burden Reduction - Barry is on the Burden Reduction Committee and the committee is focusing on a referral in reference to trying to reduce the burden on reporting gambling losses. This is in reference to slot machines. IRS regulations state that if you want to claim gambling loses from slot machines; you must keep a log of every pull you make whether you win or lose. The committee has accepted the issue and the committee is deciding if they will address this issue.

• VITA - Gadon informed the committee that the VITA committee has to work on time schedules in order to get out the publications next year for the volunteers and the committee is having a face to face meeting at the end of May.

Face to Face Discussion
Ramirez informed the committee that they will lodge at the Marriott Courtyard and the meeting will be held at the University of Connecticut. There was a pre-meeting with the chair, staff and DFO to discuss the face to face meeting and what issues and topics will be discussed. Havey will not attend the meeting, Jason will lead the meeting.

Other Comments/Questions
The budget has been approved for the Tax Forums this year. There will be a Forum in NY. Some members will be asked to attend. TAP will have a table at the forum which will be staffed by the TAP Staff.

Ramirez informed Barry that the proposal that went forward to the JC, but it had to go back to the quality review team. Ramirez will try to have this on the next agenda

There will not be a May Area 1 teleconference. This will be replaced by the May 11-12, 2007 face to face meeting to be held in Stamford, Connecticut.

Jason informed the committee that there will be some public attending the face to face meeting. The LTA, Fran Romano, from Connecticut will attend the face to face meeting.

Public Participation
None

Closing/Assessment