National Taxpayer Advocate to Hold Public Forum on Taxpayer Service Needs in Washington, DC, on May 17

WASHINGTON — National Taxpayer Advocate Nina E. Olson will hold a public forum on taxpayer service on Tuesday, May 17, at 10:00 AM at the IRS Headquarters Building in Washington, DC. Members of the public and the media may attend by following the procedures described below.

Building on initiatives already implemented, the IRS for the past two years has been developing a “Future State” plan that envisions how it will operate in five years and beyond.  It is continuing to develop a path for how it gets from its “Current State” to the “Future State,” including refinements to the vision along the way.  A central component of the plan is the creation of online taxpayer accounts as a convenient but non-exclusive channel through which taxpayers will be able to obtain information from and interact with the IRS. 

In the National Taxpayer Advocate’s 2015 Annual Report to Congress, Ms. Olson expressed concerns about whether the IRS’s “Future State” plan adequately addresses taxpayer needs.  She recommended the IRS solicit comments from taxpayers and tax professionals regarding the “Future State” plan, including their thoughts on the extent to which taxpayers will continue to need telephone and in-person assistance. To further public awareness and dialogue, she announced plans to hold a series of public forums around the country. The objective of the public forums is to ensure the “Future State” plan will better reflect the needs and preferences of U.S. taxpayers as they seek to comply with the tax code.

The May 17 public forum will feature three invited panels, including:

Panel 1

Lawrence B. Gibbs Member, Miller & Chevalier  | Washington, DC Former Commissioner, Internal Revenue Service

Caroline Bruckner, Executive in Waiting | Accounting &Taxation Managing Director Kogod Tax Policy Center | American University | Washington, DC

Marylouise Serrato, Executive Director American Citizens Abroad | Rockville, Md.

Johnette Hartnett, Ed.D, Senior Director | Strategy & ResearchNational Disability Institute | Washington, DC

Panel 2

Eric L. Green, Attorney at Law Green & Sklarz, LLC | New Haven, Conn. Representative, Section of Taxation | American Bar Association

Troy K. Lewis, CPA Lewis & Associates, CPAs, LLC | Draper, Utah Chair, Tax Executive Committee | American Institute of Certified Public Accountants

Robert Kerr, Senior Director | Government Relations National Association of Enrolled Agents | Washington, DC

John Ams, Executive Vice President National Society of Accountants | Alexandria, Va.

Panel 3

Rick Parrish, Senior Analyst Forrester Research, Inc. | Cambridge, Mass.

Tina Orem, Staff Writer Nerd Wallet | San Francisco

John Sapp, CPA Vice President of Strategic Development | Drake Software | Franklin, N.C. Chair, Council for Electronic Revenue Communication Advancement

The public forum will take place in the IRS Auditorium, Internal Revenue Service Building, 1111 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20224. Due to building security procedures, visitors must enter at the Constitution Avenue entrance. In addition, all visitors must present photo identification to enter the building. Because of access restrictions, the IRS will not admit visitors beyond the immediate entrance area more than 30 minutes before the public forum begins. For information about having your name placed on the building access list to attend the public forum, contact Deborah Powell at (202) 317-6100.

For information about the forum, go to TaxpayerAdvocate.irs.gov/public-forums. 

About the Taxpayer Advocate Service

The Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) is an independent organization within the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that helps taxpayers and protects taxpayer rights.  Your local advocate’s number is in your local directory and at taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov.  You can also call TAS toll-free at 1–877–777–4778.  TAS can help if you need assistance resolving an IRS problem, if your problem is causing financial difficulty, or if you believe an IRS system or procedure isn’t working as it should.  And our service is free.  For more information about TAS and your rights under the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, go to taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov. You can get updates on tax topics at facebook.com/YourVoiceAtIRS, Twitter.com/YourVoiceatIRS, and YouTube.com/TA SNTA.