WASHINGTON, DC - Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee Chairman John Lewis (D-GA), delivered the following statement today at a Subcommittee hearing reviewing IRS operations and budget proposals for Fiscal Year 2010 with IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman.
“Again this year, the Subcommittee is holding an oversight review of the Internal Revenue Service. We intend to examine the operations of the agency, its budget, and its service to taxpayers.
“This is the first time the Commissioner has been before the Subcommittee this Congress. We welcome him. This is also the first time many of the Members of this Subcommittee will have the opportunity to review the agency. I look forward to their participation.
“Today’s hearing is a chance for the IRS to assure this Subcommittee and the public that it is acting fairly-- fair in how it treats taxpayers and fair in how it treats its employees. Overall, I think the agency has done a good job. However, there is always room for improvement.
“I do not think it is fair that five million taxpayers received busy signals when they called this year for help and almost 18 million taxpayers hung up before getting through. If the agency needs additional resources to meet its customer service mission, we need to know that.
“I am also concerned that low-income taxpayers are having their Social Security payments levied by the agency. And, it is a shame that victims of identity theft do not have their cases resolved with more urgency.
“Where this Subcommittee can help the agency improve, we will. Taxpayers wanting to settle their tax debts should not be required to make a down payment with their offer. Small businesses should not be run out of business by tax shelter penalties aimed at big corporations. These issues require tax law changes that the Ranking Member and I support.
“Finally, I want to be sure that the agency is being fair to its employees. Each year, the agency’s employees collect about $2.7 trillion and process 250 million returns. As fewer paper returns are filed, the agency has started to consolidate. In these difficult times, I ask the agency to take every reasonable step to ensure that employees at these locations, such as Atlanta and Andover, are not without jobs.
“Thank you."
