Area 5 Committee Meeting Minutes

August 9, 2004

Present:

• Linda Bader
• Patrick Castleberry
• Laura DeMarais
• Maria Herman
• Steve Landauer
• Jeana Warren
• Nan Wilson
• Lillian Woo

Absent:

• Lydia Brasch
• John Hollingsworth
• Tom Seuntjens
• Frank Woods

Staff:

• Dianne Glass, DFO
• Mary Ann Delzer, Program Analyst
• Audrey Jenkins, Program Analyst

Guests:

• Steve Bankler
• Ken Eichner

Welcome/Announcements/Review Agenda
Lillian welcomed everyone to the call.

Roll Call
Quorum met.

Review/Approve Minutes
The July 12, 2004, minutes were reviewed for accuracy. Two errors were found and the corrected minutes were approved.

Offer in Compromise Follow-up-- Castleberry
Castleberry reviewed The National Taxpayer Advocate’s Report to Congress, Fiscal Year 2005 Objectives, in regard to the potential emphasis on the Offer in Compromise program. NTA has given this sufficient attention. Has looked critically at all the important points and it is covered. NTA has a handle on the processing problems, as well as the institutional bias. She feels that the program is not in line with the congressional intent for IRS to be more flexible in collection activities. IRS processing is actually rigid and makes it difficult for people to qualify. More than 1/3 of the OIC applications are returned for not being able to be processed. Castleberry recommended that Area 5 not take on the OIC issue as the NTA has it as a priority.

Woo asked if Area 5 would have anything to add to the OIC discussion. Castleberry stated that Area 5 input would only be anecdotal. The NTA has the resources to get the information that she needs.

The committee agreed that the OIC issue should not be worked by Area 5.

Minneapolis Meeting
Woo led the discussion about the planning of the face to face meeting in Minneapolis.

Items to be added to the agenda include:

• Speaker on the SPEC coalition building for VITA
• Report-out on the interview process and the Tax Forums. Suggestion to combine with the Oversight Board meeting report-out under one title.
• TAS Area 5 report by Rhodes
• Next year planning
• Public Input on Monday (before lunch and 2:30-3:00 pm) and Tuesday (before morning break)
• Identity Theft

Woo reiterated that Area 5 needs to complete as many open issues as possible during this meeting. This will lead to work on the Area 5 annual assessment. Some of the assessment will be done by sub-committees in regard to their own work.

Communication Strategy will be moved from the first morning. Woo explained that the Ad Hoc is looking forward to the Areas developing a local strategy. Want the committees to develop time lines, tools and examine their local spheres of influence in regard to getting the word out about TAP.

ACTION: Glass to request from TAS Area 5 a report of the issues worked since the generation of the last report shared with TAP.

New Issues
To be discussed at the face-to-face meeting.

Outreach Report
To be discussed at the face-to-face meeting.

Public Comment
Ken Eichner –Is concerned that he did not receive the call-in number. Also expressed his concerns that Area 5 follow-up on the NTA’s work on the OIC issue.

Castleberry stated that Area 5 would keep on top of the OIC issues. McQuin shared that two LTAs, Lois Burns and Bill Sonnack, had the OIC portfolio for TAS. Glass stated that OIC will certainly be in the NTA’s report to Congress due in December.

Eichner—(continued) Asked whether members of the public could have a part in sub committees meetings. Is the public allowed to participate?

McQuin explained that FACA does not require the posting of meeting information for sub-committee meetings as no decisions are made at that level. It is up to the subcommittee members as to whether they would like public participation. Woo stated that this could be a subject of discussion in looking forward to next year.

Steve Bankler –Would like to see the draft agenda for the Minneapolis meeting in the next few days.

Closing
Woo wished everyone a safe trip to Minneapolis. Meeting adjourned.

Next meeting August 23, 2004 and August 24, 2004.