SBSE Issue Committee Meeting Minutes
April 10, 2008
Teleconference

Program Owner

• Kieliszek, Charlotte

Designated Federal Official

• Morizio, Louis

Committee Members Present

• Brock, James
• Clapp, Marilyn
• Gursey, Gregory
• Lee, MJ
• Maisch, Steven
• Marker, Patrice
• McQuiston, Robert
• Robert Mull
• Zgoda, Bruce

Committee Members Absent

• Barry, Shaun
• Blanchard, Greg
• Jason, Julie
• Shah, Rajiv

TAP Staff

• Knispel, Marisa
• Odom, Meredith

Other Attendees

• Grimes, Phyllis
• Jones, Allen
• Welsh, Kathy

Welcome
Zgoda welcomed everyone to the call.

Roll Call
Quorum Met

Review Agenda

Program Owner Presentation
Grimes discussed SBSE’s Education and Outreach Campaign focusing on the Schedule C filer which addresses the new business owner who may be filing this Schedule for the first time. The goal of the Campaign is to improve compliance and reduce the tax gap by enhancing education and outreach. It will take place in three phases. 

Phase I will be launched in April of this year at the National Small Business Week.  This event is important for the small business community because it highlights the fact that small businesses are the force behind the economic growth in the United States. The Small Business Self-Employed organization has a communication plan that outlines how the information will be distributed to the public. There is a list of key messages and talking points and a news release.   Information will also be distributed electronically such as on the first page of irs.gov and through Electronic News for tax professionals and small businesses.  Information will also be disseminated via programs such as Tax Talk Today and Small Business TV. There will be a Phone Seminar which is a national teleconference to spread the word that will be held on May 21stand a Congressional Update as well.   

Phase II is the Media Phase.  A “Your Business” tax kit will be developed and distributed to financial institutions hoping that they will share it with new business owners in their communities. This product should be ready by August or September of this year. 

Phase III aims to expand the current VITA Program in order to include Schedule C preparation. It also aims to establish self-help workshops in the Taxpayer Assistance Centers to provide taxpayers the help they need.

Grimes asked the Committee to review the handouts (see attachments) and to provide her with any feedback.  She also asked them to think of other distribution channels to get all this information out to the public. 

Subcommittee Report-Out

Subcommittee 1 – Schedule C Issues
Clapp informed the members that the subcommittee is working on issues such as worker classification, payroll and estimated tax payments.  They are also considering a checklist to be included in the Publications 583 and 344. The checklist will contain important information in case taxpayers don’t read the entire publication. Zgoda is developing this checklist. He is also composing a compliance notice that could be sent to new businesses to assist them in remaining compliant.

Subcommittee 2 – Aging Issues
Margulies informed the members that at their last meeting,  the subcommittee reviewed the Power Point presentation and the chart that could be alternatives for the Social Security Worksheet. Kathy Welsh and her team are currently reviewing these documents. The subcommittee also discussed other issues that affect senior citizens such as the Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) 

Welsh confirmed that her team and Counsel as well as employees of Forms & Publications are reviewing the aforementioned documents and hope to complete the review within the next two weeks. Her team, Welsh said, is anxious to learn the suggestions from the TAP on educational materials regarding the RMD

Welsh informed the members of the IRS’ work on the Office-in-Home deduction in 2005. Her team had proposed a standard rate (using data from the Census Bureau) with the idea of not using depreciation. However, Treasury did not agree. The issue is also being considered by the National Taxpayer Advocate Nina Olson.

Morizio reminded the Committee that, as TAP members, they are not allowed to work on legislative issues.

Public Participation
None

Closing
Zgoda thanked everyone for attending.