National Taxpayer Advocate Nina E. Olson held a public forum in Portland, Ore., on Thursday, August 18, to discuss what taxpayers want and need from the IRS to comply with their tax obligations. The forum was held in Portland at the invitation of Sen. Ron Wyden, Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Finance.

Over 40 members of the public attended the forum at the Hollywood Senior Center in Portland. The panelists and the public addressed many aspects of the IRS Future State plan, including potential issues with online account access by nonregulated return preparers and concerns over senior citizens becoming victims of tax-related fraud. In Oregon, return preparers are regulated by the Oregon Board of Tax Practitioners; which requires stringent testing and continuing education requirements. A panelist who works with the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program in the Native American community described challenges faced by her clients such as access to broadband and difficulties getting face-to-face assistance at the local Taxpayer Assistance Centers.

The Portland panel also raised their concerns over the effect of increasingly complex tax laws, continued education and training needs for IRS customer service representatives who assist taxpayers through various processes, and enhancing taxpayers’ ability to navigate through an electronic notice process without assistance from a reputable preparer.

Several of the panelists submitted written statements:

• Sarah Adams, Executive Director, CASH Oregon | Portland, OR
  • Statement
• Susan Gallagher-Smith, Enrolled Agent, Board Chair, Oregon Board of Tax Practitioners | Eugene, OR
  • Statement
• Michael L. Such, Research Assistant, Lewis & Clark Low Income Taxpayer Clinic, Lewis & Clark Law School | Portland, OR
  • Statement
• llene Waterman, VITA volunteer, Native American Youth and Family Center | Portland, OR
  • Statement

More about the forum:

• Speaker Biographies
• Meeting Agenda
• Read the press release

Read more about the forums

Comments regarding the Future State of the IRS may be submitted by email. Please do not send account-related questions to this email address.

The 2016 IRS Nationwide Tax Forums kicked-off this summer in Chicago, Ill., the week of July 11. New Orleans, La. was the host city for the second tax forum during the week of July 25. The third tax forum begins August 23 and takes place in National Harbor, Md. Additional tax forums will travel to Orlando and San Diego over the next few weeks.

Activities at each of the five cities include three full days of:

• seminars on key federal and state tax issues;
• exhibitors displaying a wide selection of tax products and services;
• the Case Resolution Program – where practitioners bring their “toughest case” and work with an IRS tax professional; and
• focus groups – where practitioners are invited to share their opinions on a variety of pertinent tax topics.

Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) is again a very active participant at the Forums. This year TAS is:

• presenting a series of seminars to help practitioners advocate for their clients;
• overseeing the Case Resolution Program; and
• obtaining valuable insight form practitioners through two focus groups.

The Case Resolution Program is a cross-functional endeavor that allows TAS, Small Business /Self Employed, and Wage and Investment the opportunity to work together and help practitioners help their clients.  It’s not just the on-site assistors working to help the practitioners attending the forums. There are dedicated employees available by phone to help assistors at the tax forums resolve the cases. The on-call assistors are representatives from several IRS functions, in addition to TAS technical advisors. This joint effort has help resolve 238 cases for practitioners at the forums this year.

Plan to join the IRS Nationwide Tax Forums nearest you this summer. 

National Taxpayer Advocate Nina E. Olson and U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci (OH-16), a member of the House Ways & Means Committee, convened a public forum to discuss what taxpayers want and need from the IRS to comply with their tax obligations.

Nearly 100 members of the public attended the forum at the Parma branch of the Cuyahoga County library. The panelists and the public addressed many issues, primarily focusing on the struggles to receive quality customer service from the IRS. The forum also addressed the unique issues facing the state’s 65,000-member Amish community.  Their religious tenets don’t allow their members access to the internet or telephone and, in the case of some of the sects’ children, social security numbers. The “future state” movement towards a non-human interface with IRS will impact this population acutely, according to the Ohio State Director of the Amish Steering Committee.

Several of the panelists submitted written statements:

• Dana Goldstein (Low Income Taxpayer Clinic Director | Community Legal Aid | Akron, OH)
  • Statement
• Kathy Matthews (Program Director |  Enterprise Community Partners, Inc. | Cleveland, OH)
  • Statement
• Member of the Amish community (Old Order Amish Steering Committee | Dalton, OH)
  • Statement
• Matt Yuskewich (Chair, Ohio Society of CPAs Federal Tax Legislation Policy Committee | Winterset CPA Group, Inc. | Columbus, OH)
  • Statement

More about the forum:

• Speaker Biographies
• Meeting Agenda
• Read the press release

Read more about the forums

Comments regarding the Future State of the IRS may be submitted by email. Please do not send account-related questions to this email address.

National Taxpayer Advocate Nina E. Olson and Rep. Xavier Becerra, a senior member of the House Committee on Ways and Means and the Ranking Member of its Subcommittee on Social Security, will hold a public forum to discuss what taxpayers want and need from the IRS to comply with their tax obligations.

The public forum will be held Monday, August 22, at 9:30 a.m. at Boyle Heights City Hall, Los Angeles. Members of the public and the media are invited to attend.

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.

In the National Taxpayer Advocate’s FY 2017 Objectives Report to Congress, Ms. Olson highlighted notable observations and suggestions shared by panelists at public forums held earlier this year.  She wrote: “Although the National Taxpayer Advocate has been charged by Congress to be the voice of the taxpayer inside the IRS, what we heard at the Public Forums around the country were the voices of real taxpayers and their real representatives. They are compelling, articulate, and clear about what they need in order to comply with the tax laws.”

The August 22 public forum will feature invited speakers who represent Los Angeles communities, including:

Audrey Casillas, Economic Development Specialist
Koreatown Youth and Community Center | Los Angeles, CA

Isai Cortez, Director, Pepperdine Low Income Taxpayer Clinic
Pepperdine University School of Law | Los Angeles, CA

Robert S. Horwitz, Chair, Taxation Section, State Bar of California
Hochman Salkin Rettig Toscher & Perez PC | Beverly Hills, CA
 
Susan Maples, Taxpayers’ Rights Advocate
California State Franchise Tax Board | Rancho Cordova, CA

Nancy Remo, Enrolled Agent, Representing National Association of Enrolled Agents
ANR Tax Group | Los Angeles, CA

Members of the public will also have an opportunity to speak.

Local Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) staff will be available to talk with attendees about unresolved tax issues and help determine if their situation qualifies for TAS assistance. TAS generally is unable to assist taxpayers with return preparation questions, but can provide assistance to taxpayers who have already filed their returns with the IRS for the current or past years and are experiencing problems that meet its case-acceptance criteria.

The public forum will take place at the Boyle Heights City Hall, 2130 East 1st Street, Los Angeles, CA 90033.

More about the Forum:

• Speaker Biographies
• Meeting Agenda
• Read the full press release

Read more about the forums

Comments regarding the Future State of the IRS may be submitted by email. Please do not send account-related questions to this email address.

National Taxpayer Advocate Nina E. Olson will hold a public forum in Portland, Ore., on Thursday, August 18, to discuss what taxpayers want and need from the IRS to comply with their tax obligations. The forum is being held in Portland at the invitation of Sen. Ron Wyden, Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Finance.

The public forum will take place at the Hollywood Senior Center, 1820 NE 40th Ave, Portland, OR, at 5:30 p.m. Members of the public and the media are invited to attend.

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.

In the National Taxpayer Advocate’s FY 2017 Objectives Report to Congress, Ms. Olson highlighted notable observations and suggestions shared by panelists at public forums held earlier this year.  She wrote: “Although the National Taxpayer Advocate has been charged by Congress to be the voice of the taxpayer inside the IRS, what we heard at the Public Forums around the country were the voices of real taxpayers and their real representatives. They are compelling, articulate, and clear about what they need in order to comply with the tax laws.”

The August 18 public forum will feature an invited panel of representatives from the small business and local taxpayer communities, including the following:

• Sarah Adams, Executive Director, CASH Oregon | Portland, OR
• Susan Gallagher-Smith, Enrolled Agent, Board Chair, Oregon Board of Tax Practitioners | Eugene, OR
• Michael L. Such, Research Assistant, Lewis & Clark Low Income Taxpayer Clinic, Lewis & Clark Law School | Portland, OR
• llene Waterman, VITA volunteer, Native American Youth and Family Center | Portland, OR

Members of the public will also have an opportunity to speak.

Local Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) staff will be available to talk with attendees about unresolved tax issues and help determine if their situation qualifies for TAS assistance. TAS generally is unable to assist taxpayers with return preparation questions, but can provide assistance to taxpayers who have already filed their returns with the IRS for the current or past years and are experiencing problems that meet its case-acceptance criteria.

More about the Forum:

• Speaker Biographies
• Meeting Agenda
• Read the full press release
• Read more about the forums

Comments regarding the Future State of the IRS may be submitted by email. Please do not send account-related questions to this email address.