IRS Seeks Volunteers for Taxpayer Advocacy Panel

According to their newest press release, the IRS is seeking “civic-minded volunteers to serve on the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (TAP), a federal advisory committee that listens to taxpayers, identifies key issues and makes recommendations for improving IRS service.”

“The feedback and suggestions that the TAP provides us from the taxpayer’s point of view are important to sound tax administration,” said IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman.

The TAP provides a forum for taxpayers from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico to raise concerns about IRS service and offer suggestions for improvement. The TAP reports annually to the Secretary of the Treasury, the IRS Commissioner and the National Taxpayer Advocate. The Office of the Taxpayer Advocate, an independent organization within the IRS, provides oversight and funding for the TAP.

“In trying to comply with an increasingly complex tax system, taxpayers may find they need different services from the IRS,” said Nina E. Olson, National Taxpayer Advocate. “The TAP is vital because it provides the IRS with the taxpayer’s perspective and recommendations for improvements that will help the IRS to deliver the best possible service to assist taxpayers in meeting their tax obligations.”

To be a member of the TAP you must be a U.S. citizen, current with your federal tax obligations, able to commit 300 to 500 hours during the year, and able to pass an FBI criminal background check. New TAP members will serve a three-year term starting in December 2010. Anyone chosen as an alternate member will be considered to fill any vacancies that open in their area during the next two years.

CA Tax Panel to Recommend New Business Tax

As my home state’s economic woes continue, the California tax commission has been working on ways to increase revenue. Reports suggest the commission is about to recommend a new business tax that has “never been tried on a wide scale in the U.S.” They will reportedly recommend repealing state sales and corporate taxes then try the all-new business tax instead. Check out the following clip of an Associated Press article discussing the announcement.

A commission charged with reforming California's tax structure will recommend repealing the state sales and corporate taxes, flattening the income tax rate and taxing businesses in a way that has never been tried on a wide scale in the U.S.

The Commission on the 21st Century Economy is expected to submit a sweeping report to the governor and Legislature Tuesday after spending a year looking for ways to stabilize California's volatile tax system.

A draft copy of the report obtained by The Associated Press said the commission will recommend California change its personal income tax structure to reduce the burden on the wealthy.

It also recommends replacing the state sales and corporate taxes with a new business levy that taxes net receipts, in an attempt to tax the value of all goods and services produced by businesses in the state.

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