WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight held a hearing to review the National Taxpayer Advocate’s 2009 Report released on January 6, 2010. In her report, National Taxpayer Advocate Nina E. Olson highlights the most serious problems facing taxpayers and indicates that certain Internal Revenue Service (IRS) operations are harmful to taxpayers and tax administration.
“The National Taxpayer Advocate’s 2009 Annual Report raises serious concerns about the ability of taxpayers to get the help they need," said Rep. John Lewis (D-GA), Chairman of the Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee. “It has become clear that, in some cases, the laws may need to be changed, and, in other cases, the IRS may need to change its policies. Either way, now is the time to address these problems, and I look forward to working with the Advocate and the IRS to explore the findings and recommendations in the Annual Report this year."
The Advocate reports that:
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Access to the IRS’s toll-free telephone service is declining as taxpayer demand for service is increasing;
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The one-size-fits-all lien filing policies circumvent the spirit of the law, fail to promote future tax compliance, and unnecessarily harm taxpayers;
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Appeal efficiency initiatives have not improved taxpayer satisfaction;
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The IRS lacks a Service-wide electronic services strategy; and
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Other serious problems exist including: the needs of low-income taxpayers are not being adequately met, the correspondence examination program does not maximize voluntary compliance, and the steady decline in the Offer-in-Compromise program is leading to lost opportunities for taxpayers and the IRS.
