TAP News

JAN 23

National Taxpayer Advocate Releases 2011 Annual Report
to Congress

National Taxpayer Advocate (NTA) Nina E. Olson released her 2011 Annual Report to Congress on Jan. 11, 2012, identifying the combination of the IRS’s expanding workload and declining resources as the most serious problem facing taxpayers. The result, the report says, is inadequate taxpayer service, erosion of taxpayer rights, and reduced tax compliance. More information is available on the 2011 Annual Report to Congress page on the Taxpayer Advocate Service Tax Toolkit.


National Taxpayer Advocate Launches Blog

In addition, the NTA launched her new blog, National Taxpayer Advocate’s Blog: Taxpayer Rights and Taxpayer Burden, on Jan. 11, 2012, in conjunction with the release of her 2011 Annual Report to Congress. The NTA will address various issues that impact taxpayers on her blog. Check out the NTA's most recent blog post, updated Jan. 25.

The Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (TAP) works alongside TAS to help identify and solve issues important to taxpayers and serves as focus groups for taxpayers to help improve the IRS.

 

JAN 5

New Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Members Selected

The Treasury Department and IRS are pleased to announce the selection of 26 new members to serve on the nationwide Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (TAP).

The new TAP panel members will join 56 returning members to round out the panel of 82 volunteers for 2012. The new members were selected from a pool of more than 400 interested individuals from across the country who applied during an open recruitment period last spring. TAP sincerely appreciates the efforts of all individuals who submitted an application to serve as a TAP volunteer.

“TAP members play an important role for the nation’s taxpayers,” said IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman. “The panelists provide the IRS with insights that help make the tax administration process better for all taxpayers.”

TAP listens to taxpayers, identifies issues and makes suggestions for improving IRS service and customer satisfaction. TAP members work with IRS executives on priority topics, primarily those involving the Wage & Investment and Small Business/Self-Employed operating divisions. Members also serve as a conduit for bringing grassroots concerns raised by the taxpaying public to the attention of the IRS.

Want to get involved? TAP’s next recruiting period for new members will open in March of 2012. If you are interested in applying, please visit Join TAP to receive email updates about future TAP member vacancies.

New Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Members Selected for 2012

 Last Name First Name City  State
 Armstrong  Kenneth  Kalispell  MT
 Bentley  Susan  Kihei  HI
 Brayton  Bill  Sheridan  WY
 Chivers  Laurie  Dalton  MA
 Christopher  Doug  Winchester  KY
 Chulick  Eugene  Dayton  NV
 Colby  Lucy  Arlington  VA
 Dell  Jack  Hayden  ID 
 George  Philip  Cos Cob  CT
 Goldberg  Allan  Hunter  NY
 Gross  Robert  Montpelier  VT
 Klug  Terri  West Jordan  UT
 McCrumb  Barbara  Newark  DE
 Mikhail  Boris  Lindenhurst  NY
 Patton  Susan  Lucinda  PA
 Pinilis  Russell  Montclair  NJ
 Powers  Clarke  Warrenton  OR
 Ralph  Thomas  Webster  MA
 Rodriguez  Luis  Forest Hills  NY
 Santini  Hector  Ponce  PR
 Sorich  Samuel  El Dorado Hills  CA
 Sykes  Edward  Rose Hill  KS
 Tuchi  Ben  Tucson  AZ
 Wells  Gary  Anchorage  AK
 Wolfsohn  Jonathan  East Rockaway  NY
 Zachary  Martha  Inver Grove Heights  MN
 
OCT 24

Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Releases 2010 Annual Report

 

 

The Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (TAP) has released its 2010 Annual Report. The report fulfills TAP’s responsibility under its charter to provide an annual written report that summarizes its activities and recommendations during the preceding year. Read the 2010 Annual Report news release.

The report summarizes TAP’s accomplishments in 2010, including 101 new recommendations and 34 completed projects the panel provided to the IRS. The Wall Street Journal article, “IRS Reminds Workers They Can’t Demand Turning Off Speakerphone,” highlights one of TAP’s recommendations agreed to by the IRS.

Key successes include the following IRS actions, which were implemented following suggestions by TAP:

  • To help tax preparers in rural areas meet the e-file requirement, the IRS is developing a process for tax preparers in rural areas where high-speed Internet is unavailable.
  • To improve taxpayer service, the IRS is extending Taxpayer Assistance Center (TAC) services hours to include some Saturdays, and is improving signs and visual communications in TACs.
  • To enhance education about the U.S. tax system, the IRS is working with the National Council of Economic Education (NCEE) to expand the Understanding Taxes program in high school and college classrooms.
  • To improve efficiency of levy releases, the IRS launched E-FAX Services, a pilot program that enables employees to fax releases from their desktops.

2010 TAP Chair Sabby Jonathan also recognized the dedicated efforts of TAP’s volunteer panel members who work toward improving the taxpayer experience with the IRS. “It has been exceptionally rewarding working with people of diverse backgrounds, panel members as well as staff, all focused on a single goal;  improving the IRS for the benefit of taxpayers. The Taxpayer Advocacy Panel is an effective and important group that enables ordinary citizens to bring about real change,” Jonathan commented. “With 237 million tax returns expected to be filed in 2011, improvements at the IRS initiated by the TAP have affected a great number of people.”

Media Coverage

 

SEPT 26

TAP Membership Recruitment Update

The Taxpayer Advocacy Panel's (TAP) membership application period for this year closed on April 29. We would like to thank all those who submitted an application to serve as a TAP volunteer. During the open recruiting period, from March 14 through April 29, we received over 400 applications for panel membership.
 
After a rigorous review of all applications, interviews with the top candidates were conducted in June. Recommendations for panel membership are now being forwarded through the National Taxpayer Advocate and IRS to the Department of the Treasury for selection. An update about the status of the selection process will be posted to this website in November 2011. Thank you again to all those who volunteered to serve your country and help improve America's tax administration system by applying for TAP membership. If you are interested in volunteering to serve on the Panel but missed out on this year’s application period, please register now as an interested candidate or check this site early next spring for information on the 2012 recruiting period.
 
 
 
AUG 29

TAP works with IRS Office of Taxpayer Correspondence;
Contributed to Prize ClearMark Award

The TAP is proud to be part of the successful and ongoing project of revising IRS notices. In April, the IRS received the Grand Prize ClearMark Award from the Center for Plain Language for its efforts to produce easy-to-understand taxpayer notices. The TAP Notice Improvement Committee works closely with the IRS Office of Taxpayer Correspondence (OTC) and provides valuable feedback on their notices to help ensure they’re simple, clear and easy to understand. The OTC submitted two notices for the award competition, CP08, Additional Child Tax Credit and CP21A, Account Notice. The TAP Notice Committee reviewed both and provided Frequently Asked Questions to the OTC. The Notice Committee is especially proud of giving comments on the CP08 months ago and feels it contributed to the OTC winning this prestigious award.
 
 
 
MAY 16

TAP Issues Report on Improving Signs, Visual Communication
in IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers

In December 2009, IRS Field Assistance management requested the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (TAP), Taxpayer Assistance Center (TAC) Project Committee review the current signage in the TACs and improve current communication methods.
 
Each TAC Committee member visited one or more TACs, discussed signage and other communications with the TAC manager, and critically looked at the posted signs and other forms of communication used. The members visited 26 TACs and interviewed 17 TAC managers.
 
After arriving at several general conclusions concerning signage in the TACs, the Committee submitted a report to the IRS in December 2010 including nine recommendations for improvement. The TAC Committee concluded that implementing the nine recommendations could have a significant impact on improving communications with taxpayers and the appearance of the TACs.
 
The 2010 TAC Committee Report – Signs and Visual Communication goes further than just reworking the existing signage. It includes opening the door to using new technologies to communicate with TAC customers.
 
 
 
APR 30

Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Recruitment Now Closed

The Taxpayer Advocacy Panel’s (TAP) membership application period for this year closed on April 29, 2011. TAP would like to thank everyone who submitted an application to serve as a TAP volunteer.
 
During the recruiting period, March 14, 2011 to April 29, 2011, TAP received more than 400 applications for panel membership. TAP staff members have begun the applicant screening process and will post an update on the status of this process by July 31, 2011. Thanks again to everyone who volunteered to serve your country and help improve America’s tax administration system by applying for TAP membership.
 
If you are interested in volunteering to serve on TAP but missed this year’s application period, please check this site early next spring for information about the 2012 recruiting period. You may also sign up for an email alert when TAP member openings are available in your area.
 
 
JAN 26

New Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Members Selected

The Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) are pleased to announce the selection of 32 new members to serve on the nationwide Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (TAP), a Federal Advisory committee charged with providing direct taxpayer input to the IRS.

The new panel members will join 70 returning members to round out the volunteer panel for 2011. The new members were selected from over 500 interested individuals from all over the country, who applied through an open recruitment period last year. TAP sincerely thanks all those who submitted an application to serve as a TAP volunteer.

TAP’s next recruiting period for new members will open in March of 2011. If you are interested in applying please sign up on this site to receive email updates about future TAP member vacancies.
 
New Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Members Selected for 2011
 
 Last Name First Name City  State
 Acero  Antonio  Myrtle Beach  SC
 Baldwin  Barbara  Auburn  CA
 Bekolo  Paulette Germain  Chapel Hill  NC
 Bilancia  Richard  Loveland  CO
 Brandewie  Shaun  Sidney  OH
 Davine  Jeffrey  Los Angeles  CA
 DelTergo  Michael  Westfield  NJ
 Eng  Harry  St. Charles  IL
 Fisher  Aileen  Burlingame  CA
 Fishman  Annie  Rockwall  TX
 Hayden  Robert  Monroe  MI
 Hitchcock  Colleen  Lacey  WA
 Janci  Gerald  Pittsboro  MS
 Kalimeris  Angeliki  Woonsocket  RI
 Kelly  Eileen  Wilmette  IL
 Kendall  Edith  Marion  IA
 Kennerty  Michael  Lawrenceville  GA
 Levine  David  Reno  NV
 Marshalek  Mark  Powell  OH
 McPeak  Catherine  Plano  TX
 Palmer  George  McLoud  OK
 Perez  Santa  Las Vegas  NV
 Petersen-Grosse  Chris  Elkhart  IN
 Purkayastha  PK  Saline  MI
 Rible  Robert  Santa Cruz  CA
 Roy  Brian  Nashua  NH
 Silva  Michael  North East  MD
 Smith  Toni  Omaha  NE
 Webster  Walter  Dauphin  PA
 Wechter  Thomas  Glencoe  IL
 Williams  Cindi  Summerset  SD
 Wongshue  Lina  Orlando  FL
 
JAN 5

National Taxpayer Advocate Releases 2010 Annual
Report to Congress

National Taxpayer Advocate (NTA) Nina E. Olson released her 2010 Annual Report to Congress on
Jan. 5, 2011, identifying the need for tax reform as the number one priority in tax administration. The NTA, who leads the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS), expressed continuing concern in the report that the IRS’s increasing use of hard-core enforcement actions, particularly tax liens, is inflicting unnecessary harm on financially struggling taxpayers. The report also examines challenges the IRS is facing in implementing the new health care law. The Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (TAP) works alongside TAS to help identify and solve issues important to taxpayers and serves as focus groups for taxpayers to help improve the IRS.
 
 
OCT 27

Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Releases 2009 Annual Report

The Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (TAP) has released its 2009 Annual Report. The report fulfills TAP’s responsibility under its charter to provide an annual written report that summarizes its activities and recommendations during the preceding year. The annual report highlights important actions of TAP and summarizes the 129 new recommendations and completed projects TAP generated for IRS consideration in 2009. Continue »

 

 

 

 

 

 

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