Taxpayer Advocate

The IRS announced today that it will eliminate the two-year limit on certain innocent spouse requests. NTA Nina E. Olson issued a statement responding to this rule change. Read her statement on the Press Releases page of the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) website.

Starting July 7, 2011, the IRS began sending letters to about 100,000 individuals who appear to have filed returns in 2011 without a valid Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN). More information is available on the Renewing or Applying for a PTIN page of the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) website. The IRS video Your Guide to an IRS Audit, which provides basic information regarding the small business audit process, has also been added to the Business Tax Basics page. In addition, new information is available about the IRS request for public comment on proposed updated rules for IRS communications with the Office of Appeals.

The National Taxpayer Advocate (NTA) Nina E. Olson released her Fiscal Year 2012 Objectives Report to Congress on June 29, 2011, which outlines the goals and activities planned by the NTA for the coming fiscal year. The report expresses particular concern about the impact of IRS budget cuts on taxpayer service and tax compliance and about IRS lien filing practices. Find out more and read the full report on the Fiscal Year 2012 Objectives Report to Congress page of the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) website.

National Taxpayer Advocate (NTA) Nina Olson testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance: Hearing on Complexity & the Tax Gap on June 28, 2011. Read the NTA’s statement on the Speeches and Testimony page of the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) website.

The Taxpayer Advocate Service’s (TAS) IRS Nationwide Tax Forum focus group schedule has been posted to the TAS website. TAS’s three focus groups include: Publication 1 - Taxpayer Rights - Do Your Clients Understand Their Rights?; TAS and Social Media - Your Voice at the IRS!; and How Do IRS Collection Practices Affect your Small Business Clients? For those who have registered, seminar presentations are also available to download and print on the 2011 IRS Nationwide Tax Forums website.

The IRS recently announced the 2011 Low Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC) grant recipients. The IRS awarded almost $10 million in matching grants to 165 LITCs this year. The IRS has also announced the opening of the 2012 LITC grant application process. For more information, visit the Low Income Taxpayer Clinics page of the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) website.

National Taxpayer Advocate (NTA) Nina Olson submitted written testimony to the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee (the Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government) on June 8 regarding the Internal Revenue Service FY 2012 budget request. Read the NTA’s statement on the Speeches and Testimony page of the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) website.

The IRS recently announced the opening of the 2012 Low Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC) grant application process. More information is available on the Low Income Taxpayer Clinics page of the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) website.

National Taxpayer Advocate (NTA) Nina E. Olson was recently interviewed by Forbes.com about tax reform. The NTA also recently testified before the House Committee on Ways and Means about improper payments in the administration of refundable tax credits. Links to the interview and testimony can be found on the home page of the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) website. In addition, new information about the IRS’s Fresh Start Initiative is available on the Individuals, Businesses and Tax Professionals sections of the TAS website.

National Taxpayer Advocate (NTA) Nina E. Olson testified today before the House Committee on Ways and Means on Improper Payments in the Administration of Refundable Tax Credits. The NTA also testified today before the Senate Committee on Finance on The Spread of Tax Fraud by Identity Theft: A Threat to Taxpayers, A Drain on the Public Treasury. Read the NTA’s testimonies on the Speeches and Testimony page of www.TaxpayerAdvocate.irs.gov.

Check out new information about Accelerated Write-Offs for Small Businesses and the IRS Small Business Tax Center now available in the Small Business Tax Help and Resources section of the TAS website!

New information is now available on the Taxpayer Advocate Service website about TAS at the IRS Nationwide Tax Forums. Learn about the seminars and focus groups that TAS hosts each year at the IRS Nationwide Tax Forums and how tax professionals can participate! Visit the Taxpayer Advocate Service at the IRS Nationwide Tax Forums page for more information.

Check out recent media appearances by National Taxpayer Advocate Nina Olson, including interviews on CBSNews.com about the complexity of the tax code and ABCNews.com about solving problems with the IRS. More info is available on the In the News page of the TAS website.

New information has been added to the Taxpayer Advocate Service website about the Adoption Credit and the IRS’s recent clarification of guidance for some Collection Appeals Program (CAP) hearing requests.

The National Taxpayer Advocate testified about how the complexity of the tax code hinders small businesses in terms of job creation and economic growth before the House Committee on Small Businesses on April 13, 2011. Read her testimony on the Speeches and Testimony page of the TAS website.

Check out recent media appearances by National Taxpayer Advocate Nina Olson, including interviews on ABCNews.com about options available for settling tax debts with the IRS and Dow Jones Newswire about the NTA’s testimony before the House Committee on Small Business on April 13, 2011. More info is available on the In the News page of the TAS website.
 

National Taxpayer Advocate Nina Olson was recently interviewed by Forbes.com about common issues encountered by taxpayers during tax season, such as filing extensions, home foreclosures, and tax credits. Watch the interview on Forbes.com or visit the Taxpayer Advocate Service website for other useful tax information.

New examples of how the Taxpayer Advocate Service has helped taxpayers have been added to the Success Stories page of the TAS Website.

Tax season is in full-swing! New videos and information about choosing a tax preparer, volunteer opportunities for tax professionals and filing your taxes if you do not have a Social Security number has been added to the home page of the Taxpayer Advocate Service website.

The Internal Revenue Service is reminding the nation’s almost 690,000 federal tax return preparers that they must renew their Preparer Tax Identification Numbers (PTINs) for 2014. All current PTINs will expire on Dec. 31, 2013. For more information, such has how to renew a PTIN, visit the Renewing or Applying for a PTIN page of the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) Tax Toolkit.