Tag Archive for Washington D.C.

The National Taxpayer Advocate “Purple Book”: A Summary Presentation Of Our Top 50 Legislative Recommendations

Last week, we issued the National Taxpayer Advocate’s annual report to Congress. As some of you probably noticed, we also issued the first-ever edition of the National Taxpayer Advocate “Purple Book.” In this week’s blog, I will explain why we developed the Purple Book and what it’s intended to accomplish.

Section 7803(c)(2)(B) of the Internal Revenue Code requires the National Taxpayer Advocate to issue an annual report to Congress that, among other things, proposes legislative recommendations to resolve systemic taxpayer problems. Read More

Written by | Posted in National Taxpayer Advocate

IRS Urges Travelers Requiring Passports To Pay Their Back Taxes Or Enter Into Payment Agreements; People Owing $51,000 Or More Covered

WASHINGTON ─ The Internal Revenue Service today strongly encouraged taxpayers who are seriously behind on their taxes to pay what they owe or enter into a payment agreement with the IRS to avoid putting their passports in jeopardy.

This month, the IRS will begin implementation of new procedures affecting individuals with “seriously delinquent tax debts.” These new procedures implement provisions of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, signed into law in December 2015. Read More

Written by | Posted in FAST Act • IRS • Traveling Tax

The First In A Series Of NTA Conversations Is Now Available For Online Viewing

The NTA is hosting a series of conversations that bring together experts to discuss relevant issues that impact and influence tax administration.

The first NTA Conversation panel discussion “An International Ethnographic Perspective on Tax Administration and Tax Compliance” was held on Dec. 1, 2017. The discussion included five international tax researchers who shared their approach to tax research and their work experiences with tax administration and tax compliance. Read More

Written by | Posted in National Taxpayer Advocate • Tax Administration • Tax Compliance • TaxConnections

Telephone Service In An Omnichannel Environment – Communicating With The IRS Over The Phone Must Be Made Easier For Taxpayers (Part 2)

In last week’s blog, Telephone Service in an Omnichannel Environment – The IRS Must Make Communicating with the IRS Over the Phone Easier for Taxpayers, I discussed some of the struggles taxpayers will face during filing season while trying to get help from the IRS over the phone. Given the challenges of increased call volume and confusion over the tax law changes, along with the uncertainty of the IRS’s final funding level for Fiscal Years 2018 and 2019, the IRS has projected its “level of service” (LOS) on its Accounts Management lines will be anywhere from 40 percent to 80 percent for Filing Season (FS) 2018. In a later blog, I will discuss my concerns about how the IRS calculates LOS and whether that measure provides accurate information about callers’ experience with the phones. Read More

Written by | Posted in IRS • National Taxpayer Advocate

IRS Issues Guidance On Changes In Accounting Periods Related To The Transition Tax

WASHINGTON – The Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced modifications to the procedures for changing the accounting period of foreign corporations owned by U.S. shareholders that are subject to the transition tax under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

On Dec. 29, 2017, the Treasury Department and the IRS provided initial guidance on computing the transition tax in Notice 2018-07.  On Jan. 19, 2018, the Treasury Department and the IRS provided additional guidance in Notice 2018-13. Read More

Written by | Posted in IRS • Tax Cuts Jobs Act • Transition Tax

Telephone Service In An Omnichannel Environment – Communicating With The IRS Over The Phone Must Be Made Easier For Taxpayers (Part 1)

Jan. 29th marked the start of the 2018 tax filing season, as the IRS began accepting and processing an estimated 155 million individual tax returns for Tax Year 2017. Taxpayers have between now and April 17, 2018 to file their individual tax returns with the IRS, either online or through the mail, or obtain a filing extension until Oct. 15th. Filing season can be stressful for taxpayers in the best of times, as many have questions about how to properly report their earnings, claim deductions, and comply with their tax obligations. Read More

Written by | Posted in IRS • Tax Return

National Taxpayer Advocate Delivers Annual Report To Congress; Discusses Tax Reform Implementation And Unveils “Purple Book”

WASHINGTON — National Taxpayer Advocate Nina E. Olson today released her 2017 Annual Report to Congress, describing challenges the IRS will face as it implements the recently enacted tax reform legislation and unveiling a new publication, “The Purple Book,” that presents 50 legislative recommendations intended to strengthen taxpayer rights and improve tax administration.

The report also examines a wide range of other tax administration issues, including the IRS’s administration of the private debt collection program, the agency’s increasing emphasis on online taxpayer accounts, and its implementation of a recent law that would deny or revoke the passports of taxpayers with significant tax debts. Read More

Written by | Posted in The Purple Book
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