Joining the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (TAP) offers a unique opportunity to participate in the improvement of both the American tax administration system and the IRS.
The number of TAP member representatives is based on the number of Taxpayer Advocate Service Local Taxpayer Advocates in each state. Any open volunteer member positions will be need to be filled each year.
A notice will appear in the Federal Register and on this website to announce the open recruitment period dates each year.
Interested individuals are encouraged to submit an application during open recruitment periods, which usually last about six weeks.
These are the minimum eligibility criteria and mandatory qualifications that an applicant must possess in order to be selected as a TAP Member:
Be at least 18 and a citizen of the United States of America
Be current with all federal tax obligations.
Pass an FBI fingerprint and background check.
Not be a federally registered lobbyist, a Department of Treasury employee, or IRS employee as these are not eligible for membership
Commit to serve a three-year appointment and devote approximately 200 to 300 volunteer hours per year to TAP
Have access to and use of a computer with Internet, e-mail, and word processing capability
Be willing and able to travel to selected cities for several days to attend TAP meetings several times during the year, depending on constraints
Have the ability to fund reimbursable travel expenses (except air fare)