Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (TAP)
Area 2 Committee
Meeting Minutes

Committee’s Teleconference Meeting
January 17, 2007 @ 2:30 PM ET

Designated Federal Official (DFO)
Frances W. Kleckley, Local Taxpayer Advocate, Columbia, SC

Members Present
Bill Bly, Wayne, PA
Paul Brubaker, York, PA,
Michael Bryant, Oakton, VA
Kimberly Brown, Blakeslee, PA, Vice-Chair
Ben Chapman, Wayne, NJ
Emilio Cecchi, N. Bethesda, MD
Lee Congdon, Washington, DC
Blanche Davis, Rehoboth Beach, DE
Steven Fulkrod, Bel Air, MD
Robert Haines, Lebanon, NJ
Sonny Kasturi, West Orange, NJ
Judy Lester, Chapel Hill
Paul McElroy, Pfafftown, NC
Lyn Sinnamon, Arlington, VA, Chair
Elizabeth Warnecki, Ladson, SC
William Yaeger, Alexandra, VA

Members Absent
JoAnn Davis, Scott Depot, WV
Carolyn Hutchinson, Fletcher, NC

Staff Present
Nancy Ferree,      TAP Program Manager
Inez E. De Jesus, TAP Program Analyst
Isai Pallango,       TAP Staff & Note taker

Welcome and Roll Call
Chair Lyn Sinnamon opened the meeting by welcoming everyone and asked TAP staff Isai Pallango to take roll.

Quorum of 10 was met.

Joint Committee Report / Information from Chair Training
Chair Lyn Sinnamon shared information on 2-day Chair training held in Dallas Texas. It was stated that TAP Director Bernie Coston and National Taxpayer Advocate Nina Olson will develop a Vision Statement and information will be shared in the near future. It was also stated that single solutions for issues are better than multiple solutions.

Chair Sinnamon requested Area 2 panel members complete working current issues and move on to new issues. He also stated that Joint Committee Monthly Teleconference meetings are open to all members, and he encouraged that area 2 members attend. TAP Manager Nancy Ferree agreed with this request.

Suggestion from the Chair for all Members to Make a Personal Goal for the year Regarding TAP and Outreach
Chair Lyn Sinnamon shared that “Outreach” should be a fixed commitment and all panel members should complete a “Personal Goal Document” and submit to Vice-Chair Kimberly Brown. Sinnamon requested that Area 2 panel members perform two or three outreach activities per month.

DFO Frances W. Kleckley stated she will share a published news article concerning a new TAP member from Iowa that could be used as a model for all panel members to follow. .

Review / Confirm Meeting Minutes: December 12, 2006
These minutes will be approved during next month’s call.

New Issues
Issue 4046-Use Last Four Digits of SSN IRS Notices
Panel member Steven Fulkrod stated that the screening committee met and recommends that this issue be placed in parking lot with monitoring mode. The screening committee learned that the IRS is currently in the process of creating a team to deal with identity theft and specifically, with getting rid of the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) on correspondence.  Once this team begins to address this matter, the TAP Notices Issue Committee will be contacted for help and Area 2 has 3 panel members who are on the Notices committee.  The entire committee agreed by consensus to accept this new issue and place in Parking Lot status with monitoring mode.

Poll Members with Taxpayers Assistance Center (TAC) Experience from Area 2 for Area 3 Project.
Panel member Blanche Davis shared information on meetings with Area 2 and Area 3 concerning TAC issues. Davis shared her visit to a TAC office and found it lacking proper information. Panel member Davis stated all panel members should visit their local TAC offices and report information with other members during next month’s teleconference meeting.

Issue 3743-Revise Form W-9
TAP Staff reported that this proposal has not been revised yet.

Revisit Issue 3228- E-File Alternatives and Interactive Forms
Panel member Elizabeth Warnecki is currently working on this Parking Lot issue. Warnecki shared that she is still monitoring issue and searching for new developments that IRS is making in regards to E-filing user friendly opportunities. Warnecki thinks monitoring is best option. All panel members agreed by consensus to use TAP Space as a discussion forum for this issue.

Review Issues Matrix Active & Parking Lot Issues
Program Analyst De Jesus stated that a new matrix spreadsheet was sent to all panel members. It was stated that issues 3946, 3997, and 4011 are currently in active status. Issue 3944 draft proposal has been returned and currently being re-drafted by the sub-committee. De Jesus asked panel members for questions or comments, but none were raised.

Confirm Subcommittee Participants

Issue 3946- Filing Of Charitable Remainder Trusts
Panel members Robert Haines, Bill Bly, William Yaeger, Sonny Kasturi, and Judy Lester will serve on this subcommittee. All panel members agreed by consensus.

Issue 3997- Terminate S Election
Panel members Robert Haines, Kim Brown, William Yaeger, and Ben Chapman will serve on this subcommittee. All panel members agreed by consensus.

Issue 4011- Form 8863 Education Credits
Panel members Elizabeth Warnecki, Paul Brubaker, Paul McElroy, and Carolyn Hutchinson will serve on this subcommittee. All panel members agreed by consensus.

Outreach Events and Reports
Chair Sinnamon stated panel members should track expenses related to outreach events and report to TAP Analyst De Jesus. Panel member Kim Brown shared her outreach event with local cub-scout group. Panel member Paul McElroy requested VITA members to discuss TAP with their groups.

Public Input
No public input.

Closing Assessments - Q & A Meeting Survey
Sonny Kasturi provided a status report on Issue 3953, IRS Completing Simple Returns that had been sent to the TAP Area 7 Committee.  A draft proposal is in pending status.

Chair Sinnamon reminded the committee to fill out the meeting survey.

Chair Sinnamon shared that he was looking forward to working with the Area 2 Committee and he provided Joint Committee call-in numbers.

Chair adjourned the meeting.  

Next Teleconference Meeting: February 21, 2007 at 2:30 PM ET

*Certification of Meeting Minutes:  These minutes were approved by the TAP Area 2 Committee by consensus on February 21, 2007.