DFO:

• Marian Adams, Local Taxpayer Advocate

MEMBERS:

• Kay Bell, Austin, TX
• Sandra Bland, Bemidji, MN
• Elizabeth Colvin, Austin, TX
• Chris Freeman, Pleasant Hill, IA
• Howard Guthmann, St. Paul, MN
• Bob Meyers, Omaha, NE
• Rick Rousseau, Harker Heights, TX
• Rajiv Shah, Columbia, MO
• Lee Stieger, Leavenworth, KS
• Kenneth Wright, Ashland, MO
• Warren Wong, Rochester, MN

MEMBERS ABSENT:

• Mary Suther, Dallas, TX

STAFF:

• Mary Ann Delzer, Program Analyst
• Steve Berkey, Acting TAP Manager

Welcome/Roll Call/Review Agenda
Ken Wright welcomed everyone to the meeting. 

Area 5 Chair Report--Wright

• Joint Committee (JC) Report

At the meeting Coston reported that the budget for this year will be adequate for what TAP has planned.  We are in the recruitment period and applications are coming in, with the on-line application system working well.  At the time of his report, 350 draft applications and 190 final were received.  Coston also shared information about the success of the Omaha and Phoenix Town Hall meetings.  Attendance was good at both with 50-70 attendees.  The Communication Committee reported on their work.  Three referrals were discussed, but one was sent back to an area for further work.  The JC is also discussing ways to improve the referral process.  Meyers stated that he, Wright and Coston have been working on a proposal to streamline the referral process. 

• Agenda for Kansas City

Topics are needed for the meeting agenda.  This is a great opportunity to discuss topics at length that members are interested in.   

Bell stated that the Communications Committee is working on improvements to TAPSpace to make it more workable and user friendly.  A presentation that would encourage use of TAPSpace would be helpful.  Berkey stated standardization is coming for some parts of the site, but an overview and question and answer period would be helpful. 
ACTION: Delzer to work with Bell and Berkey to determine the outline of what should be presented in regard to TAPSpace.

Guthmann suggested Wright and Delzer prepare a tentative agenda and share it with the committee for feedback.
ACTION: Wright and Delzer to prepare tentative agenda for the Kansas City meeting and share it with the entire committee for comment. 

Wong suggested Taxpayer Assistance Centers could be a topic.

Meyers stated that it is really important that Area 5 spend time looking at the parking lot and new contacts in order to form subcommittees.  Berkey noted that the report is 13 pages long and suggested a subcommittee look at the issues ahead of time for ideas as to what the Area may want to take on.  This way, Delzer can do research before hand.

Meyers suggested the committee members look at the contact report and prioritize what they are interested in working.  Berkey further suggested a multi-vote via email, perhaps share the top three issues you would like to work. 
ACTION:  Panel members to review the contact history report and email to Delzer/Wright the top three issues they would like to pursue.

• Omaha Town Hall-Meyers

The meeting was very successful, with 70 people attending.  Field Media specialist Christopher Miller did a great job lining up television, radio and print media exposure.  People did not come due to lack of information.  Meyers also sent written invitations to about 50 people.  People who were not able to attend have said they appreciated the idea of TAP and the mission.
 
One success can already be shared from the meeting.  Taxpayer shared the difficulty in claiming business use of home on the Schedule F.  Olson contacted the Chief of Forms and Publications and requested the Schedule F mirror the Schedule C on this issue.  They have already agreed to make the change for the 2007 forms.  This is an immediate success we shared with the media.

Meyers also thanked Berkey, McQuin, Coston, Robb and Toy for the great job they did with the town hall.  Freeman and Wright did a nice job with their presentations and Stieger with the focus group.  Berkey thanks Delzer for making the contacts with Miller, stakeholder groups and with UNO in setting up the meeting logistics.

Issue Discussion

• Toll Free Issues - Guthmann

These are all problems with poor customer relations.  IRS program managers are defensive when you talk with them.  Guthmann said he would rather talk with local people here who recognize the problems.  We need to come up with solution.

Adams stated that TAP is more successful when they look at the small pieces to find solutions.  Guthmann agreed to have something written up for consideration at the Kansas City meeting. 

Berkey reminded the committee that the Taxpayer Assistance Blueprint Phase II report is due next week.  This report should have good information for TAP as to where IRS is heading with customer service. 

• Taxpayer Assistance Center (TAC) - Wong

The problem continues to be both a macro and micro problem.  Committee has decided has decided to look at the micro problems as the way to go.  Delzer has shared the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) reports regarding walk-in service.  One report deals with the problem that TAC phone numbers are not in all the telephone books as the law prescribes.  The law says IRS must do it, but the IRS is breaking the law.  How do we fix it?
ACTION:  Delzer to send TIGTA web link and report numbers to members who wish to look at TAC related reports.

• Address for Payment – Stieger

IRS uses numerous addresses for payments in order to handle their work load.  This is a customer service issue as customers sort the mail, as opposed to IRS distributing the mail.  The various addresses spread the workload to the different centers.  IRS says it would cost more to do handle the mail differently.  Is this an uphill issue to get it changed?

Guthmann shared that the states are working toward making taxpayers separate their checks from their documents.  Recently worked with an IRS person on a case and he did not know who to send the check to either.

It is very confusing to taxpayers as checks and returns go to different addresses depending on where you reside.  The addressees vary from time to time as IRS adjusts the work load.

Colvin shared that different extensions for zip codes, at the same addresses are also used, depending on whether money is being sent with the return.

Guthmann said a taxpayer could have five different addresses to know depending on the situation and what kinds of payments are being made. 

Stieger said for Kansas, returns generally go to Austin, but some people still send their returns to the Kansas City Campus.  IRS has said if taxpayers send payments to the wrong place they will be processed anyway. 

Wong stated that someone asking about where to make a payment will not get a consistent answer.

Wright observed that since IRS re-organized, this has become a bigger issue, a systemic issue that the cure may only be to “un” re-organize. 

Berkey reminded the committee that if this is of concern to taxpayers, TAP can send it forward if you feel strongly about it.

Guthmann said the solution may be as simple as sending taxpayers a pre-addressed envelope, or having the TAC offices “stock” self addressed envelopes.  Delzer said taxpayers who file on paper get an envelope with their packages and those who make estimated payments get vouchers and envelopes as well.  The calls TAP gets about where to send payments generally come from people who filed electronically, or with a practitioner, and now don’t know where to mail the money.
Bland said the TAC employees would still need to know what envelope to give people.  Freeman said the problem is there are so few TAC centers to go to and there are too many types of returns to consider.

• POA, Check Box Authority - Guthmann

Meyers shared that there will be a free IRS phone forum on Thursday, May 10.
ACTION: Delzer to send all members the information on how to register and attend the IRS phone forum on Powers of Attorneys.

Outreach
Wright shared that Rivera has resigned from the TAP and another person will need to be recruited for Texas.  The number of outreaches continues to be good, but it would be great to increase the number of people who are doing the outreaches. 

Shah mentioned that he had completed several and had not reported them.  Something all need to improve. In March he attended the congressional liaison meeting.  It was really nice to meet congressional staffers and other IRS staff.  Overall good interactive sessions and was able to share about TAP.

Issue Committee Highlights
Bell--on the Internal Communications Committee and are working on TAPSpace to make it more user friendly.  By summer time, hope to have the new look.

Bland/Rousseau/Colvin—VITA members are all engaged in tax season.  Have done some planning for what we want to do in the months to come.  Are looking at evaluation of training materials and branding the program with the public.  Hope these will be done for the meeting with Commissioner.

Freeman/Wright--Ad Hoc has a forms project and is working with the multi-lingual initiatives.

Shah/Guthmann--Burden Reduction is not making much progress and need to be pushed along.  IRS still has not decided on the key issues for this year.  Very disappointing to date.

Stieger—Notices just had their face to face meeting and the new members had Document Assessment Tool (DAT) training, so they begin to score notices.  IRS is considering having TAP become involved in something new, Forms Assessment Tool (FAT).  Also looking at document and web site issues for the visually handicapped.

Office Report--Berkey
Recruitment is going well with final applications for Nebraska, three; Oklahoma, six; Texas, 16. 
Just a reminder that Milwaukee staff is stretched thin and please adjust your expectations with that in mind.  McQuin will be Acting Low Income Tax Clinic Director for another three or four months.  Kayla Walker, a TAS analyst form Little Rock is participating in the IRS management development program and TAP will be a learning experience for her

Public Input--None

Closing/Assessment
Stieger stated that many issues are up in the air and need discussion at the face to face meeting in Kansas City.  Since time is short, please do the written assessment and send via email.

Meeting adjourned