Taxpayer Advocate

Mark Moreau, director of Southeast Louisiana Legal Services (SLLS) Low Income Taxpayer Clinic, has received the National Taxpayer Advocate Award for his years of work on behalf of low income taxpayers, including outstanding efforts following Hurricane Katrina and the Gulf oil spill. Learn more about Mark’s work with SLLS on the Low Income Taxpayer Clinics page of the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) Tax Toolkit.

NTA Nina Olson testified before the House Committee on Oversight & Government Reform yesterday. Olson addressed tax-related identity theft and tax fraud as growing problems for the IRS. A video of her testimony is now available on the Committee on Oversight & Government Reform’s website or the Speeches and Testimony page of the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) Tax Toolkit.

NTA Nina Olson testified before the House Committee on Oversight & Government Reform. Olson addressed tax-related identity theft and tax fraud as growing problems for the IRS. Read her written statement on the Taxpayer Advocate Service’s (TAS) Tax Toolkit.

The Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (TAP) recently released its 2011 Annual Report, highlighting the 41 recommendations and 25 projects TAP provided to the IRS for improving customer service and satisfaction. TAP is a Federal Advisory Committee that makes recommendations to the IRS and the National Taxpayer Advocate. More information about TAP’s 2011 accomplishments is available on TAP’s website, ImproveIRS.org, or the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel page of the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) Tax Toolkit.

The IRS has made changes to Centralized Authorization File (CAF) fax numbers that impact tax professionals sending Form 2848 and Form 8821 (power of attorney forms). The Philadelphia Campus CAF Unit fax number is unchanged: (267) 941-1017. The new fax number for Memphis is (855) 214-7519 and the new fax number for Ogden is (855) 214-7522. For more information, visit the CAF page on IRS.gov. Tax professionals can access additional materials and resources on the Tax Professionals page of the Taxpayer Advocate Service’s (TAS) Tax Toolkit.

New resources to assist small businesses in preparation for year-end reporting are available on the Small Business Recordkeeping page of the Taxpayer Advocate Service’s (TAS) Tax Toolkit. 

The IRS has also released additional information about specific tax deadlines and requirements. If you filed an extension on your 2011 tax return, the IRS’s Fresh Start Penalty Relief extension deadline of October 15, 2012, is rapidly approaching. The IRS has also clarified temporary ITIN application requirements for noncitizens with tax extensions and many foreign students. In addition, if you’re interested in becoming an IRS e-file service provider, your application must now be completed online.  

Each year, the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) hosts seminars focused on taxpayer rights and other key tax issues at the IRS Nationwide Tax Forums. Seminars from the 2012 Tax Forums are now available for download and continuing professional education (CPE) credits.  These sessions are one of the many resources TAS offers to tax professionals. Learn more about 2012 Tax Forums on the Nationwide Tax Forums page of the TAS Tax Toolkit. 

NTA Nina E. Olson was recently named one of Accounting Today’s Top 100 Most Influential People of 2012. The list includes leading innovators in the tax and accounting industry. Read more about Nina Olson on the From the NTA page on the Taxpayer Advocate Service’s (TAS) Tax Toolkit. 

When one married couple turned to the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) after misunderstanding adoption credit criteria, TAS helped them clear the air and avoid IRS penalties. Check out this story, and others, on the Success Stories page of the TAS Tax Toolkit.

When the IRS refused to accept one taxpayer’s proposal to pay his debt, TAS helped the taxpayer win the debt tug of war and get a fresh start. Check out this story, and others, on the Success Stories page of the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) Tax Toolkit, and see how TAS helps taxpayers.

If you’re required to take the Registered Tax Return Preparer (RTRP) test and have not done so, please check your inbox and spam for an email from the Return Preparer Office. Schedule your test today to ensure that you’re able to obtain your preferred date, time and location. Learn more about requirements for tax preparers on the Tax Professionals page of the Taxpayer Advocate Service’s (TAS) Tax Toolkit. 

When the IRS challenged a taxpayer’s right to claim the First-Time Homebuyer Credit by stating his home didn’t qualify, TAS helped the taxpayer gather evidence to prove its existence – and get the credit he deserved. Check out this story, and others, on the Success Stories page of the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) Tax Toolkit, and see how TAS helps taxpayers. 

Southeast Louisiana Legal Services, a Low Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC), was recently awarded the American Bar Association’s 2012 Hodson Award for Public Service. Watch a video of LITC Program Director Bill Nelson talking about this exciting achievement on the Low Income Taxpayer Clinics page of the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) Tax Toolkit. TAS manages the LITC program to provide tax assistance to low income taxpayers and those who speak English as a second language.

National Taxpayer Advocate (NTA) Nina Olson testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight & Government Reform on Aug. 2 about the tax-related provisions of the Affordable Care Act. Read her testimony or learn more tax information on the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) Tax Toolkit.

It’s no secret hospital visits can be taxing. Visit the Success Stories page on TAS’s Tax Toolkit to learn how TAS helped a hospitalized taxpayer get a Social Security levy lifted and funds returned.

When a New York taxpayer was experiencing economic hardship from a delayed refund and had failed to receive an answer, the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) was able to help. Watch the story on an Ask Asa segment from CBS New York. You can learn more about how TAS helps taxpayers on the Success Stories page of the TAS Tax Toolkit. In addition, the IRS recently announced efforts to help U.S. citizens residing overseas catch up with tax filing obligations and provide assistance to people with foreign retirement plan issues. 

Discovering you owe more on your taxes than you can pay at the moment is never ideal. Check out the Success Stories page of TAS’s Tax Toolkit to see how TAS helped one small business owner navigate the IRS, prevented a lien and helped her stay in business.

Natural disasters like floods and storms are top of mind for many taxpayers this week. Check out the Success Stories page of TAS’s Tax Toolkit to see how TAS helped one taxpayer get his refund after an unexpected run in with Mother Nature. 

National Taxpayer Advocate (NTA) Nina Olson testified before the House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary about tax-related identity theft and refund fraud on June 28, 2012. Read her testimony on the NTA Testimony and Speeches page. For more tax information, visit the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) Tax Toolkit.

National Taxpayer Advocate (NTA) Nina E. Olson released her Fiscal Year 2013 Objectives Report to Congress on June 27, 2012, identifying priority issues the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) will focus on during the upcoming year. The report expresses particular concern about the taxpayer impact of expired and expiring tax provisions, and the rise in tax fraud and tax-related identity theft. Find out more and read the full report on the Fiscal Year 2013 Objectives Report to Congress page of the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) website.