Taxpayer Advocacy Panel program to go on temporary administrative suspension

For more than 20 years, the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (TAP), through its team of dedicated volunteer members, has served a vital function in our tax system by advocating for the interests of taxpayers and offering critical feedback to the IRS. The insights and concerns raised by TAP members have historically played an influential role in shaping policies and redefining services that directly affect taxpayers across the nation and abroad. At this time, however, the TAP program will enter a temporary administrative suspension, effective February 13, 2026.

This will include a suspension on the acceptance of new issues and concerns related to improving IRS processes and taxpayer service. Please return to this page for additional updates as they become available.

Search
Exit search
Home > Our Work > Understand the process

Understand the process

Status of Projects

Since its creation, the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (TAP) has provided more than 2,039 recommendations to the IRS to improve taxpayer service and satisfaction with IRS services, products and procedures. These projects are derived from direct taxpayer feedback as well as projects the IRS asked the TAP to work.

1

Active

Open issue, but no recommendations to the IRS have been made yet.

2

Elevated

The issue has one or more recommendations that have been sent to the IRS.

3

Monitoring

One or more recommendations have been adopted and require monitoring, one or more recommendations have been considered but aren’t yet complete, or TAP is still reviewing the IRS’s response(s)

4

Closed

All recommendations under this issue have been closed.

Phases of Recommendation Process

After TAP submit recommendation(s), IRS program areas review the recommendation and implement it if appropriate and feasible. While the IRS gives serious consideration to TAP recommendations, it is sometimes limited in its ability to implement recommendations due to cost, legislative or regulatory restrictions, a difference in philosophy, or the need to balance relieving taxpayer burdens with their responsibility to efficiently collect proper tax revenues owed. Below are definitions various status of a Project referral

Our committees

TAP is governed by the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), a public law that guides boards or committees established by federal offices and agencies to provide advice, ideas or opinions to the federal government.

TAP establishes project committees, with nationwide membership, to identify and propose solutions for IRS customer service issues. The project committees are closely linked to the IRS Wage and Investment (W&I) and Small Business/Self-Employed (SB/SE) operating divisions program owners.

TAP members are divided into six separate Project Committees that focus on specific issues. The Joint Committee (TAP’s governing body) is made up of representatives from each Project Committee. These committees are empowered to work directly with the IRS to provide observations or recommendations on issues and areas for improvement and monitor the status and progress of issues.

Outcomes of a recommendation

Each TAP recommendation has a status code per the IRS response. Below describes the disposition of the recommendation by the TAP.

Recommended

Initial stage, approved by the joint committee, but pending a response by the IRS.

Adopted

IRS indicates the recommendation is fully adopted. The recommendation may or may not be implemented, but the IRS has agreed to the recommendation.

Partially adopted

IRS indicates the recommendation is partially accepted. The recommendation may or may not be implemented but the IRS has agreed to the recommendation in part.

Not adopted

IRS has indicated the recommendation is rejected and will state the reasons in the response.

Terminal

The IRS did not respond timely and TAP has decided not to pursue the recommendation further.