Designated Federal Official

• Adams, Marian - Wichita, KS - LTA

Committee Members Present

• Bell, Sharon - Austin, TX - Member
• Bland, Sandra - Bemidji, MN - Member
• Freeman, Christopher - Chaska, MN - Member
• Guthmann, Howard - St. Paul, MN - Member
• Meyers, Robert - Omaha, NE - Member
• Stieger, Lee - Leavenworth, KS - Vice Chair
• Suther, Mary - Dallas, TX - Member
• Wright, Kenneth - Chesterfield, MO - Chair
• Wong, Warren - Rochester, MN - Member

Committee Members Absent

• Colvin, A. Elizabeth - Austin, TX - Member
• Rousseau, Richard - Harker Heights, TX - Member
• Shah, Rajiv - Scottsdale, AZ - Member

TAP Staff

• McQuin, Sandy - Milwaukee, WI - Manager
• Delzer, Mary Ann - Milwaukee, WI - Analyst
• Odom, Meredith - Brooklyn, NY - Note Taker

Welcome
Wright welcomed everyone and thanked all retiring members for all of their hard work.

Introduction of New Members
Delzer informed the committee that the three new members who were alternates last year, were invited to participate in the call.  Unfortunately, they were not available for the meeting.

Roll Call
Quorum Met

Response Discussion on Issue
TAP 506-027-Forms and Publications Employee Background
Sottile will address the committee after the Annual Meeting.

Area 5 Chair Report
Joint Committee Report-out
Stieger shared with the committee what went on at the Joint Committee meeting. He reported that the Joint Committee agreed to elevate the issue Area 5 had sent up on "Address for Payment".  Most of the discussion was based on preparations for the Annual Meeting and TAP Chair/Vice Chair Elections.  Meyers encouraged everyone to vote if they haven’t done so. Ballots went out via email.  

Area 5 Annual Self-Assessment
Delzer will provide the members with a self assessment form to fill out and return. This will go out to in a few days with a due date to return it.

Issue Discussion
TAC’s
Delzer sent out the recommendation written by Area 3 to go forward to the JC, which summarizes the work completed this year. Mosler asked Area 5 to review it and make any suggestions for improvement.  The recommendation will go forward to the JC so there will be a formal recognition of what was accomplished with the group this year.

Guthmann had some suggestions for the proposal – Under Goal Statement, correct the spelling of the word “principal”.  Under Proposed Solution, he feels that everyone that was at the telephone conference with Tunley should have their names listed. In discussing taxpayer communications, it should include anything that was learned at outreach or any other meeting. Parking and bus line convenience should also be mentioned as a concern. 

Meyers reiterated the Area 5 suggestion to collocate the TACs with other governmental services to make it more convenient to taxpayers.  Delzer will ask Mosler to include additional points to mention location and mention that he heard about people with parking and bus availability.

Freeman mentions that everything is going online and he questions what will happen to the people that don’t have internet access. The IRS should allow TAC employees to print these forms out for people that don’t have internet access.

POA, Check Box Authority
Further IRS input is needed on the issue.

Direct Deposit
Bland suggests sending a letter stating that the committee would like to see something done on this issue. Wright feels that this is a legislative issue and this should be forwarded to Olson for consideration to included again in her yearly list of legislative recommendations.

Outreach
Members are encouraged to continue outreach and send in the outreach reports.

September: 18, five members
October: 7, four members

ACTION Items
Complete

Issue Committee Highlights
Ad Hoc – N/A

Notices – there are some notices that are waiting to be commented on.  The copy write proposal is complete. The visually impaired taxpayer proposal was sent forward to the IRS and the committee is waiting for a formal written response

Communications – the committee is preparing for the Annual Meeting and setting agendas for the upcoming year.

VITA – the committee has completed their recommendations for changes in the training materials for the VITA program.  A panel member worked with the UTS people on updates.  The support for the VITA committee will be moving out of Milwaukee and going to the Brooklyn, NY office.

Burden Reduction – the committee is not as active as they were in 2006. The IRS hasn’t provided the committee with many issues. The committee Chair discussed this with the Director and he is working on improving this committee.

Office Report
McQuin, on behalf of herself and Coston, thanked Mary, Bob and Warren for all they have done over the past few years.

Foley is on a detail to W&I and Robb is now Coston’s secretary so there are only two people in the Milwaukee office.    The Milwaukee office has a posting for a new Secretary.  Coston posted for a new manager in the Brooklyn office and another analyst to do all the database work.

McQuin and Delzer are working with Patti Wagner, Liaison for W&I. There are only a few elevated recommendations that haven’t been responded to but they are working on it.

Staff is working hard on preparing for the Annual Meeting.
Bell encouraged all members to complete the various surveys to insure TAP can continue to improve its processes.

Public Input
N/A

Closing/Meeting Satisfaction Assessment
Meyers thanked Suther and Wong for all of their help. Meyers will be at the Annual Meeting. He thanked the Milwaukee Staff for all of their help.

Suther thanked everyone and let them know she enjoyed working with everyone.

Wong thanked everyone and wants everyone to know that he appreciates the opportunity and learned a lot of different things.

Stieger thanked all retiring members. The meeting went well and he feels the year was very positive.

Wright encouraged everyone to complete the Annual Self Assessment.