Designated Federal Official

• Marian Adams - Wichita, KS - Designated Federal Official

Committee Members Present

• Capehart, Craig - Dallas, TX - Member
• Colvin, A. Elizabeth - Austin, TX - Member
• Fretheim, Dan - Decorah, IA - Member
• Guthmann, Howard - St. Paul, MN - Member
• Lynch, Reagan - Midland, TX - Member
• Shah, Rajiv - Scottsdale, AZ - Member
• Rousseau, Richard - Harker Heights, TX - Member
• Shoemaker, Paul - Lincoln, NE - Member
• Villarreal, Josefina - Corpus Christi - Member
• Woodard, Norma - Choctaw, OK - Member
• Wright, Kenneth - Chesterfield, MO - Chair

Committee Members Absent

• Bell, Kay - Austin, TX - Vice Chair
• Bland, Sandra - Bemidji, MN - Member
• Freeman, Christopher - Chaska, MN - Member
• Stieger, Lee - Leavenworth, KS - Member

TAP Staff

• DeTimmerman, Trish - Des Moines, IA - Acting TAP Manager
• Delzer, Mary Ann - Milwaukee, WI - Program Analyst
• Robb, Patti - Milwaukee, WI - Secretary

Welcome
Ken Wright welcomed everyone to the call. 

Trish DeTimmerman introduced herself and gave a history of her IRS experience.  She actually is a program analyst in the TAS office in Des Moines, IA.  It looks like she will be attending the San Antonio meeting in April.

Roll Call
Quorum Met

Area 5 Chair Report-Wright

• Joint Committee (JC) Report-out

The JC had a conference call last week.  The TAP chair attended the Oversight Board meeting and said it went very well.  They were very receptive of TAP’s comments.  Bernie Coston gave the Director’s report.  Our budget is pretty much on target.  Mary Ann Delzer has been selected for the front-line manager training in IRS.  The TAP charter has been approved and filed so we are good to go for another two years.  Recruitment begins March 17 and runs through April 30.  The staff will be sending out recruitment messages to all panel members to use to help with recruitment.

• Face-to-Face Meeting

We are right on track for the face-to-face meeting in San Antonio.  Patti Robb will be sending an email this week requesting travel preferences.  For those members who wish to drive, a cost comparison will have to be done.

Issue Discussion

• Direct Deposit - Delzer

A letter of support went to Nina Olson, National Taxpayer Advocate, on Feb 27, 2008.  We asked her to continue to press the misdirected direct deposit issue and that she continue to advocate for her legislative recommendations along with implementation of the W&I Task Forces’ recommendations.

• RAL – ANPRM - Delzer

This information was posted to the front page on TAPSpace.  We requested everyone to send their comments directly to Treasury.  Please take the time to respond. 

• Auto Extension Form 990, Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax - Lynch

Reagan Lynch wrote up a report; he is fine-tuning it and then it will be coming out.  He mentioned that he also found an article by the IRS.  Lynch looked at the Form 990 and thinks it is very confusing.  He will continue to do some research. 

Josefina Villarreal said she handles a lot of non profit entities and would be happy to give input.  Delzer said all this input must go to the new Ad Hoc committee, Forms and Publications.  Wright asked that it be sent to him before it goes to Ad Hoc. 

• Issue Prioritization Subcommittee - Bell

# 4523 – Toll free limited hours—parking lot
# 4536 – Return Processing -- Contact Numbers-drop
# 4561 – Revamping IRS code – legislative
# 4268 – Identity Theft – already being worked – keep in the parking lot
# 4432 – Estimated payments and short year corps–drop
# 4457 – EITC audits--asking for proof of parenthood, what will be accepted Josefina Villarreal will take to the EITC committee and see if there is interest to work the issue

Outreach - All
Area 5 did five outreach activities; DeTimmerman, Shah, Villarreal, Woodard, and Wright.

Howard Guthmann said did one but didn’t turn his information in.  Villarreal did another outreach but has yet to do the report.  Dan Fretheim turned one in this morning.   

Action Item Review - Delzer
All action items are completed.

Issue Committee Highlights - All
Wright - Ad Hoc Committee (Forms and Pubs) – the members are working on forms and publications and when they are finished with the ones they have been given, they will get more.  There is an unending supply of work.  Right now they are looking at Publication 560,Retirement Plans for Small Business (SEP, SIMPLE, and Qualified Plans), Publication 590, Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs), some English and Spanish forms, and also looking at what forms should be converted to Spanish. 

Craig Capehart – Taxpayer Assistance Centers (TAC) – visited the Dallas TAC.  They are working on the issue of the IRS scheduling appointments for taxpayers who need assistance in doing their tax returns.

Rick Rousseau – Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) – we are still working on expanding collaboration with partners and will address the training materials in the Spring.  He attended a meeting in Atlanta where they were looking at software.  A new contract will be awarded in January.  We are looking at what we like and don’t like with TaxWise.  An email was sent out by Barbara Foley to some current and past members for their input.  The big issue is what type of product would work best.  If you have time, fill out the questionnaire.  Rousseau will consolidate the input and forward it.  They will look at this input when they go out and look at the bids.  He is gathering as much information as he can from the TAP members.  While in Atlanta, he did an outreach at the meeting and told them about TAP.

Rajiv Shah – Burden Reduction – working on quite a few issues.  They have two subcommittees; one is looking at Schedule C, Profit or Loss from Business, and one is looking into aging issues (folks retiring or about to retire and what they are facing).

Paul Shoemaker – Communication Committee – we have been working on advertising town hall meetings.  We are also working on updating the tri-fold mailer and are also working on a TAP RAP; a video about TAP. 

Josefina Villarreal – Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) – we did not have a meeting in January and due to the time difference, missed the February meeting. 

Norma Woodard – Notices – missed the February meeting due to the time differences.

Office Report – DeTimmerman
Delzer will be out of the office the week of March 17 to attend front-line management training.

Hopefully we will have the secretary roster coming soon and will have someone to interview.  There were no applicants for the managerial position to replace Sandy McQuin.  Wright mentioned that he talked to Bernie Coston about vacancies last week and was told lowering the grade for the manager position in Milwaukee may occur to attract applicants. 

Just another reminder, recruitment begins March 17.  Staff will be asking panel members to assist with TAP applicant interviews. 

The town hall meeting scheduled for May 1 in Springfield, IL, has been postponed and tentatively set for May 6.

Wright will write up an issue about Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS) and will forward to Delzer.

Public Input
None.

Closing/Meeting Satisfaction Assessment - Shah
Congratulations for having a brief and productive meeting.