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The National Taxpayer Advocate reviewed the Taxpayer Bill of Rights with the four private collection agencies selected for the Private Debt Collection program under the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act). The National taxpayer Advocate recorded a training video for all employees of the four Private Debt Collection agencies on protecting taxpayer rights under […]

“[You] ask people, okay, if you had the choice between trying to find the answer to a government question online, yourself, or just picking up the phone and calling somebody…

In 2015, I wrote a blog post analyzing IRS collection performance, looking at the effects of different drivers of collection such as notices, installment agreements, liens, levies, and refund offsets. Today, I’d like to pick this topic back up, but focus on a collection issue associated with new legislation. In late 2015, Congress passed the […]

National Taxpayer Advocate Nina E. Olson testified before the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight today at a hearing entitled, “IRS Reform: Lessons Learned from the National Taxpayer Advocate.” Olson cited data showing that building trust with taxpayers correlates with increased voluntary tax compliance and said respecting taxpayer rights is critical to building trust.  […]

Many taxpayers work or engage in services that are considered to be a part of the gig or shared economy services. These services often originate through peer-to-peer interactions such as ride-share programs, room rentals, and other freelance work. Following the May 2016 hearing, Taxpayer Advocate Service worked with the IRS to create the information contained […]

“[You] ask people, okay, if you had the choice between trying to find the answer to a government question online, yourself, or just picking up the phone and calling somebody, which would you prefer? Sixty percent of people say they prefer to pick up the phone, including half of millennials.” — Rick Parrish, Senior Analyst […]