FEDERALhearing transcript

IRS Reform Hearing: Lessons from the National Taxpayer Advocate

Original title: IRS REFORM: LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE NATIONAL TAXPAYER ADVOCATE

January 1, 2019

IRS Tax Reform Government Oversight Taxpayer Rights

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The Frame

What this does

This hearing initiated a legislative review process aimed at modernizing IRS operations and service standards, which directly impacts how all U.S. taxpayers interact with the agency and exercise their Taxpayer Bill of Rights.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

U.S. Taxpayers

Taxpayers are subject to the administrative procedures and service standards of the IRS, which are the subject of the proposed reforms.

IRS Employees

Agency employees are subject to potential changes in operational procedures and management structures resulting from the reform efforts.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2019.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

The House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight held a hearing on May 19, 2017, to discuss potential reforms to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The committee heard testimony from the National Taxpayer Advocate regarding how to improve agency efficiency and maintain taxpayer trust.

Key Facts

The hearing took place on May 19, 2017, in the Longworth House Office Building.
The Subcommittee on Oversight is conducting a review of IRS operations for the first time in nearly 20 years.
98% of U.S. tax revenue is collected through voluntary compliance, while 2% is collected through enforcement actions.
The Taxpayer Bill of Rights includes the right to quality service, defined as prompt, courteous, and professional assistance.
The hearing included formal questions for the record from Representatives Buchanan, Schweikert, Curbelo, Bishop, and Holding.
The Bright Lines Project submitted public testimony for the record.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the purpose of this hearing?

The hearing was held to gather information and expert testimony to guide potential legislative reforms for the IRS.

Who is the National Taxpayer Advocate?

The National Taxpayer Advocate is an official within the IRS who acts as a voice for taxpayers, helping them resolve problems with the IRS and recommending changes to tax laws.

Why It Matters

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Shift toward modernization

The committee explicitly framed the reform effort as a move toward a '21st century agency' rather than a punitive measure.

Internal Revenue Service House Committee on Ways and Means

Connected Entities

organizationHouse Committee on Ways and Means“The congressional committee overseeing the IRS.”Map →

personNina Olson“National Taxpayer Advocate and primary witness at the hearing.”Map →

organizationInternal Revenue Service“The federal agency subject to the proposed reforms.”Map →

personJohn Lewis“Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Oversight.”Map →

personVern Buchanan“Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight.”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance65
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy20
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment5
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz10
Current news / social attention level

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