National Taxpayer Advocate Nina Olson will Hold a Public Forum at the IRS on May 17 to Hear What Taxpayers Need from the IRS to Fulfill Their Tax Obligations

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Taxpayer Advocate Service

May 11, 2016, 14:35 ET


Washington (PRWEB) May 11, 2016 -- National Taxpayer Advocate Nina E. Olson will hold a public forum to discuss what taxpayers want and need from the IRS to comply with their tax obligations. The public forums unite speakers from the tax community, IRS advisory boards, and nonprofit and government researchers to discuss the future state of the IRS.

The public forum will be held Tuesday, May 17, at 10 a.m. in the IRS Headquarters Building, 1111 Constitution Ave NW, Washington, D.C. Members of the public and the local 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.

The May 17 forum will include a three-part panel presentation and discussion on the digital behavior of Americans, including trends for future usage, and will conclude with an opportunity for public comment. Invited public interest representatives include:

Panel 1

  • Lawrence B. Gibbs
  • Member, Miller & Chevalier | Washington, DC Former Commissioner, Internal Revenue Service
  • Caroline Bruckner
  • Executive in Residence | 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 & Research National 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, MA
  • Tina Orem
  • Staff Writer NerdWallet | San Francisco, CA
  • 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.

Maryclaire Ramsey, Taxpayer Advocate Service, http://www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/, (202) 317-6802, [email protected]