Podcasts about national taxpayer advocate

Morgan Q. Anderson, EA, is the CEO and Founder of Golden Lion Tax Solutions and the author of "Tax Debt Rule #1: There's ALWAYS a Solution!" Over the last 25+ years, Morgan has successfully resolved thousands of client cases before the IRS and state tax agencies by identifying the best solution option given each client's unique financial condition and relentlessly pursuing its acceptance. During her career, she has mastered the complex labyrinth of the IRS and state tax systems, even successfully negotiating solutions for her clients with the National Taxpayer Advocate and the Director of Collection Appeals.Morgan's career has been continuously inspired by the thousands of clients she has helped. She knows that her clients are going through the worst financial situation they will likely ever experience and deserve a compassionate yet relentless advocate to bring their much-deserved resolution to fruition.Morgan's Links:Website: http://www.goldenliontaxsolutions.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100065009094636Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goldenliontaxsolutions/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/morgan-anderson-ea/Freebies: https://corn-chimpanzee.webinarninja.com/automated-webinars/22667/register?wid=10636606Book Recs:Tax Debt Rule #1: There's ALWAYS A Solution: https://a.co/d/fSOJQji  The Impatient Entrepreneur's links:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheImpatientEntrepreneurPod⁠LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theimpatiententrepreneurpod/⁠Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theimpatiententrepreneurpod/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheImpatientEntrepreneurPod⁠Online: https://www.theimpatiententrepreneurpod.comConnect with us⁠⁠: https://www.theimpatiententrepreneurpod.com/contact⁠Kwedar & Co.'s links:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kwedarco⁠LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kwedarco⁠Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kwedarco⁠YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KwedarCo⁠Online: www.kwedarco.comConnect with us: https://www.kwedarco.com/book-consultation

In this courageous episode, Morgan Anderson, CEO of Golden Lion Tax Solutions, shares how she applies 22 years of knowledge and experience in the tax debt resolution industry into a business that focuses on efficient, effective, top-notch tax resolution for those who need help!You will discover:- the primary job of the IRS (and it's not to help you)- how to make sure you never lose your power when dealing with the IRS- the #1 way to avoid ever falling into tax debt
Morgan Q. Anderson, EA, is the CEO and Founder of Golden Lion Tax Solutions and the author of "Tax Debt Rule #1: There's ALWAYS a Solution!" For the last 24+ years, Morgan has successfully resolved thousands of client cases before the IRS and state tax agencies by identifying the best solution option given each client's unique financial condition and relentlessly pursuing its acceptance. She has mastered the complex labyrinth of the IRS and state tax systems during her career, even successfully negotiating solutions for her clients with the National Taxpayer Advocate and the Director of Collection Appeals.
Want to learn more about Morgan Anderson's work at Golden Lion Tax Solutions? Check out her website at https://www.goldenliontaxsolutions.com/Mentioned in this episode:Take the Founder's Evolution Quiz TodayIf you're a Founder, business owner, or CEO who feels overworked by the business you lead and underwhelmed by the results, you're doing it wrong. Succeeding as a founder all comes down to doing the right one or two things right now. Take the quiz today at foundersquiz.com, and in just ten questions, you can figure out what stage you are in, so you can focus on what is going to work and say goodbye to everything else.Founder's Quiz

National Taxpayer Advocate states IRS will automatically begin issuing FTA relief, but not until 2026, Ninth Circuit issues a ruling on the statute of limitations and more.

(6/18/24) - In today's Federal Newscast: The Biden Administration is contemplating a new acquisition policy that would clear up some confusion. The National Taxpayer Advocate is not impressed with wait times suffered by ID-theft victims to get their tax refund checks. And GAO says wait times of more than a decade are way too long for DoD's major acquisition programs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

(6/18/24) - In today's Federal Newscast: The Biden Administration is contemplating a new acquisition policy that would clear up some confusion. The National Taxpayer Advocate is not impressed with wait times suffered by ID-theft victims to get their tax refund checks. And GAO says wait times of more than a decade are way too long for DoD's major acquisition programs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Topics include:  Tax season & IRS update   DC and profession news and analysis  First quarter planning for a successful 2024    Speakers:   Erik Asgeirsson, President and CEO, CPA.com  Mark Peterson, EVP, Advocacy, AICPA  Melanie Lauridsen, VP, Tax Policy and Advocacy, AICPA  Erin Collins, National Taxpayer Advocate, IRS  Kimberly Ellison-Taylor, Founder and CEO, KET Solutions 

The Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) office plays a critical role working in the interest of the federal taxpayers. In this episode of the FTA Tax Breaks podcast, we talk with the TAS director, National Taxpayer Advocate Erin Collins, about her office's work as the "voice of the taxpayer." Collins shares what her office does and how it works, the good work they are currently doing, and upcoming initiatives for this office charged with protecting taxpayer rights, and improving service and tax administration as an independent voice inside the IRS. Join us for this informative and first-ever in-person Tax Breaks interview.

Nina Olsen was the National Taxpayer Advocate for the United States, a position overseeing the IRS which was created by Congress and described in the Internal Revenue Code. The National Taxpayer Advocate is responsible for overseeing more than 2,000 employees of the office of the National Taxpayer Advocate.  We discuss the responsibilities of the taxpayer advocate, the creation of the Office of National Taxpayer Advocate, and, the types of work the taxpayer advocate has been engaged in in the past two decades.Get CPE for listening to Tax Chats! Free CPE courses are available approximately one week after episodes are published. Visit https://earmarkcpe.com/ to download the free app. Go to the Tax Chats channel, register for the course, take a short quiz, and earn your CPE certificate.

Drama over the IRS is now mostly confined to Congress. The agency has returned more or less to normal, dealing with the day-to-day complexities of taxes. The Taxpayer Advocate Service has also been dealing with vexing, if not existential issues. To review a few of those issues, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with the National Taxpayer Advocate herself: Erin Collins. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Drama over the IRS is now mostly confined to Congress. The agency has returned more or less to normal, dealing with the day-to-day complexities of taxes. The Taxpayer Advocate Service has also been dealing with vexing, if not existential issues. To review a few of those issues, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with the National Taxpayer Advocate herself: Erin Collins. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Topics   Latest IRS developments and service levels  DC and profession update  Technical developments    Speakers   Barry Melancon, President and CEO, AICPA  Erik Asgeirsson, President and CEO, CPA.com   Kari Hipsak, Sr, Manager, Firm Services, AICPA  Jan Lewis, Chair of the AICPA Executive Tax Committee  Erin Collins, National Taxpayer Advocate, IRS     

At the American Bar Association (ABA) Section of Taxation Midyear Meeting in San Diego on February 10, 2023, I sat down with former National Taxpayer Advocate Nina Olson and ABA Christine A. Brunswick Fellow Anna Gooch to discuss their work at the Center for Taxpayer Rights: https://taxpayer-rights.org/ For more information on the Brunswick Fellowship, visit here: https://www.americanbar.org/groups/taxation/awards/psfellowship/ 

Omeed sits down here with National Taxpayer Advocate Erin Collins at the 2023 Annual Low Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC) Grantee Conference in Phoenix, Arizona on December 8, 2022. Collins spoke about the difficulties taxpayers and tax practitioners faced with the IRS in 2022. She also discussed how her office is working to address these problems. Since this interview was conducted, the LITC maximum grant, which was discussed here, has been temporarily increased from $100,000 to $200,000 per year, as described here on page 3 of the Low Income Taxpayer Clinics 2022 Program Report: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p5066.pdf Read the National Taxpayer Advocate 2022 Annual Report to Congress here: https://www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/reports/2022-annual-report-to-congress/

Maybe it's because nearly everyone pays taxes, but few annual reports get more attention than that of the taxpayer advocate's annual report to Congress. Especially this year, as the IRS does two things: Emerges fully from the pandemic and anticipates a big funding boost, thanks to recent legislation. To get the story behind the report, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Erin Collins, the National Taxpayer Advocate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Maybe it's because nearly everyone pays taxes, but few annual reports get more attention than that of the taxpayer advocate's annual report to Congress. Especially this year, as the IRS does two things: Emerges fully from the pandemic and anticipates a big funding boost, thanks to recent legislation. To get the story behind the report, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Erin Collins, the National Taxpayer Advocate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thursday January 12, 2023 - The Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) is an independent organization within the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that helps taxpayers resolve problems with the agency. Each year, by law, the TAS releases a report to Congress highlighting the most serious problems encountered by taxpayers. The report, known as the National Taxpayer Advocate's (NTA) report, identifies systemic issues that impede taxpayers' ability to exercise their rights and recommends solutions to those problems. The 2022 National Taxpayer Advocate report identified ranked the ten most serious problems encountered by taxpayers: 1. Processing Delays 2. Complexity of the Tax Code 3. IRS Hiring & Training 4. Telephone & In-Person Service 5. Online Access for Taxpayers and Tax Professionals. 6. E-File & Free File 7. IRS Transparency 8. Return Preparer Oversight 9. Appeals 10. Overseas Taxpayers The biggest issue identified in the report is Processing Delays. That finding isn't news to any taxpayer. The processing delay has been reported since last year. The recently replaced IRS Commissioner, Charles Rettig told a Congressional hearing last March the backlog would be cleared by the end of 2022. In the just released report the National Taxpayer Advocate, Erin Collins, wrote to Congress, saying ““We have begun to see the light at the end of the tunnel, I am just not sure how much further we have to travel before we see sunlight.” So, the IRS did not clear the backlog by the end of 2022, despite the additional funding to do so. The additional funding BEFORE the additional $80 billon. Attorney Steven A. Leahy looks at the Number one problem according to this report – Processing Delays – on Today's Tax Talk. https://www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/reports/2022-annual-report-to-congress/most-serious-problems/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/01/11/irs-backlog-delays-refunds/ https://www.thinkadvisor.com/2023/01/11/taxpayer-service-expected-to-improve-in-2023-irs-says/ https://www.journalofaccountancy.com/news/2022/mar/commissioner-congress-irs-will-clear-backlog-years-end.html --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/steven-leahy1/message

Bob Dylan wasn't thinking about the tax code when he wrote the 60's protest anthem “The Times They Are A-Changin'”, but he could have been. According to the National Taxpayer Advocate, the tax code changed 4,680 times from 2001 to 2012, an average of just over one change per day. And the pace hasn't slowed down.This week, the FAIRtax Guys continue a discussion started on the last program noting the ever-shifting nature of the Federal tax code. Its complexity and instability are two primary reasons that the income tax needs to be abolished in favor of the FAIRtax.

Have you received an IRS payment due notice? Have your tried to call the IRS to get a question answered? Are you still waiting for your 2020 refund? As the IRS recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Service is facing many challenges, including how to balance enforcement while at the same time providing taxpayer service. Many taxpayers are frustrated with the long hold times and even being disconnected. Millions of taxpayers are still waiting for their 2020, and some their 2019, tax returns. I will discuss with the former National Taxpayer Advocate of the United States, Nina Olson, how the IRS is possibly going to fix these issues and what taxpayers can expect over the next few months. https://www.taxpayer-rights.org/

IRS releases significant penalty relief, National Taxpayer Advocate adds more context and more this week.

This week we look at: Trust terms mean estate gets no deduction for marital or charitable contribution for specified payment value IRS provides for broad penalty relief for certain returns from 2019 to 2020 National Taxpayer Advocate publishes blog post explaining IRS penalty relief Copyright Kaplan, Inc.

On today's episode of The Daily Scoop Podcast, Jeff Neal, principal at ChiefHRO, LLC and former chief human capital officer at the Department of Homeland Security, discusses his takeaways from the recent data on workforce attrition in the federal government. The Internal Revenue Service could hire as many as 87,000 employees in the next decade if the Inflation Reduction Act becomes law, though The National Taxpayer Advocate says the agency isn't equipped to hire the quantity of people the agency needs. Michele Singer, CEO of Mindful Advance and former director of the Interior Business Center, explains the potential change management issues an agency could experience from that much growth. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every weekday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and Stitcher. And if you like what you hear, please let us know in the comments.

https://vimeo.com/724262674 https://www.currentfederaltaxdevelopments.com/podcasts/2022/6/26/2022-06-27-irs-falling-further-behind-dealing-with-paper   This week we look at: Senate Finance Committee takes action on retirement bill IRS and National Taxpayer Advocate release information on processing paper tax returns Supreme Court to take on case involving computing FBAR penalties IRS adds voice bot support for some ACS issues

IRS and National Taxpayer Advocate release information on paper return processing, Supreme Court to take on FBAR penalty case and more

This week we look at: Senate Finance Committee takes action on retirement bill IRS and National Taxpayer Advocate release information on processing paper tax returns Supreme Court to take on case involving computing FBAR penalties IRS adds voice bot support for some ACS issues

The IRS singled out its paper workload as one of its biggest setbacks this filing season. In response, the National Taxpayer Advocate recently issued a directive for the IRS to use scanning technology. Options include having tax preparers to use 2D barcode, and optical character recognition. For an update, Federal News Network's Jory Heckman spoke with National Taxpayer Advocate Erin Collins.

Thursday May 5, 2022 - Paper is the IRS's Kryptonite. So says Erin Collins the IRS National Taxpayer Advocate. IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig told the Senate Appropriation Committee's subcommittee on financial services and general government that the agency is “going into the direction of being able to automate paper returns.” The IRS Requested funding in 2013 to convert to a digital scanning system - as many states did some years ago. But the Commissioner said “If we were asking for it in 2013, we are 10 years essentially, technology-wise, beyond that,” Rettig said scanning and digitization technology would help the agency reduce its backlog and improve efficiency, but probably wouldn't result in workforce cost savings. According to Subcommittee Ranking Member Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) the IRS received more than $3 billion in supplemental COVID-19 funding since 2020, and more than $1 billion remains available. Attorney Steven A. Leahy goes over the IRS digitalization plan on Today's Tax Talk. https://federalnewsnetwork.com/it-modernization/2022/05/irs-looks-to-vendors-for-scanning-technology-to-tackle-its-paper-backlog/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/steven-leahy1/message

Thursday March 17, 2022 - Nina Olson, former IRS National Taxpayer Advocate from 2001 to 2019, describes the current problems at the IRS as the worst she's ever seen. This is the second year in a row that the IRS entered the year with a backlog of millions of not yet processed returns and pieces of correspondence. Internal Revenue Service Commissioner Charles Rettig appeared before The House Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee today regarding how the IRS will spend the additional $675 Million approved by Congress recently. The Commissioner said “Taxpayer service remains the most significant IRS priority, and we have implemented many new, innovative strategies in an effort to improve our overall level of service and processing of our unprecedented current and projected inventories,” Of course the Commissioner believes "the $80 billion proposal under consideration by you and your colleagues would help us deliver meaningful services to taxpayers, conduct critical enforcement initiatives and support long-term modernization efforts to improve both service and compliance for the nation,” Attorney Steven A. Leahy addresses the IRS promise to increase customer support with increased staff - and solve the backlog problem by the end of the year. Is all of that doable? https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/irs-plans-to-improve-taxpayer-service-with-budget-increase https://www.forbes.com/sites/janetnovack/2022/03/16/the-mess-at-the-irs/?sh=e75746f7657d https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/personalfinance/where-e2-80-99s-your-refund-veteran-taxpayer-advocate-offers-tips-on-dealing-with-the-mess-at-the-irs/ar-AAV8G9A --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/steven-leahy1/message

Monday February 28, 2022 - The IRS faced the “most challenging year taxpayers and tax professionals have ever experienced,” in 2021. This according to the National Taxpayer Advocate 2021 Annual Report to Congress. In that report, The Taxpayer Advocate, Erin Collins states “I am deeply concerned about the upcoming [2022] filing season, . .[p]aper is the IRS' Kryptonite, and the agency is still buried in it.” She concluded, "The IRS is in Crisis." We have covered much of this crisis in this space since the beginning of the year and the beginning of the 2022 tax filing season on January 24, 2022. We have reported on unfinished 2021 returns, taxpayer notices sent in error, refunds that go unpaid, the phone calls that go unanswered. Attorney Steven A. Leahy surveys the landscape and concludes, throwing more money at the IRS is not the answer. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/steven-leahy1/message

Your tax dollars are at work funding a government bureau to help you deal with the IRS. Strange but true! Also, the price of Amazon is going up. Links mentioned in this episode: Amazon Raising Annual Fees for Amazon Prime Membership https://www.kiplinger.com/personal-finance/spending/604171/amazon-raising-annual-fees-for-amazon-prime-membership   40 Best Amazon Prime Benefits to Use in 2022 https://www.kiplinger.com/personal-finance/spending/602399/best-amazon-prime-benefits Erin M. Collins, National Taxpayer Advocate, bio page https://www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/about-us/our-leadership/   Taxpayer Advocate Service qualifier tool https://www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/can-tas-help-me-with-my-tax-issue/   How to Cut Your 2021 Tax Bill https://www.kiplinger.com/taxes/tax-filing/604122/how-to-cut-your-2021-tax-bill

Thursday January 27, 2022 - Recently we reviewed the National Taxpayer Advocate's Annual Report to Congress. The big news out of that report was the finding - by the Taxpayer Advocate Erin Collins - that the IRS is in "Crisis." Her words, not mine. In that report, the Taxpayer Advocate lists "THE MOST SERIOUS PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED BY TAXPAYERS." The report goes on to report "Services Taxpayers Want and the Problems the IRS Faces in Delivering Them." Attorney Steven A. Leahy goes through the Taxpayer Advocate Report "At a Glance." --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/steven-leahy1/message

Thursday January 13, 2022 - In its annual report to Congress the Taxpayer Advocate's office concludes "The IRS is in crisis. The Internal Revenue Code requires the National Taxpayer Advocate to submit an annual report to the House Committee on Ways and Means and the Senate Committee on Finance that includes a summary of the ten most serious problems encountered by taxpayers and makes administrative and legislative recommendations to mitigate those problems. The Crisis determination is largely related to the delays taxpayer's are facing. Delays in return processing. Delays in refunds. Delays in answer phone calls. Delays in...well, you name it. Attorney Steven A. Leahy reviews the 10 recommendations included in the report. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/steven-leahy1/message

The lingering Covid virus is keeping people out of IRS offices. Yet a buildup of paper from tax returns is compelling tax employees to be there. So even though tax filing deadlines are returning to normal, the IRS is looking at a rough season. That's among the findings in this years annual report from the Taxpayer Advocate Erin Collins.

On this episode, Andrew Belter and William Schmidt discuss issues that the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) is having in 2021.  Due to the IRS being backed up, taxpayers are contacting TAS for assistance.  While TAS normally provides assistance to taxpayers, the IRS and TAS are being contacted by taxpayers in record numbers.  As a result, TAS is difficult to reach and that means limited assistance for Low Income Taxpayer Assistance (LITCs).   Note:  It was not mentioned in the episode, but we heard from the National Taxpayer Advocate at a later point on guidance for LITCs.  If there are issues in contacting TAS, the LITCs need to reach out to their Local Taxpayer Advocate (LTA).  The LITCs need to build close working relationships with their LTAs during these difficult times.  Contact your LTA especially if a form 911 has been submitted and you have not heard anything – send it directly to the LTA if you are able!   Also, Andrew and William talk through some networking tips and help if you are dealing with stress during the holidays.

The IRS National Taxpayer Advocate's Office recently held discussions about temporarily shutting down IRS phone lines. The IRS needs to focus on clearing the unprecedented backlog of unfiled returns. Some 5.9 million individual 2021 returns and 2.7 million amended 2021 returns are still unprocessed. Attorney Steven A. Leahy reveals the disappointing numbers as released by the IRS In addition, the Taxpayer Advocates Service has stopped accepting cases for those with amended returns. “Under our current procedures, [we do] not accept cases in which we cannot meaningfully expedite or improve case resolution for taxpayers,” it said, and “amended returns fall into this category.” What is a taxpayer to do? Attorney Steven A. Leahy reveals the numbers the IRS released in their recent report "Review of the 2021 Filing Season." --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/steven-leahy1/message

On this episode, Andrew Belter and William Schmidt review offers in compromise – what are some of the basics in making an offer and what are the types of offers?  There is also a discussion of offset bypass refunds – working with the Taxpayer Advocate Service to try and get a refund for a client who owes a past-due government debt.   Next, we turn to the look at a recent National Taxpayer Advocate blog post and discuss the changes the IRS recently brought to offers in compromise (OICs) and the offset bypass refund (OBR).   Two recent changes noted in the blog post: Not applying the current year refunds to the agreed-upon tax liability For hardship situations, the OBR remedy is now available during the pendency of an OIC Andrew and William discuss how those changes provide assistance for low income taxpayers.   NTA Blog: IRS Initiates New Favorable Offer In Compromise Policies - Taxpayer Advocate Service  

National Taxpayer Advocate Erin Collins discusses the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on taxpayers, recent IRS program changes, and what's to come from the annual Taxpayer Advocate Service report to Congress. In our “In the Pages” segment, David Hasen, a professor at the University of Florida Levin College of Law, chats about his recent Tax Notes piece, "Three Cheers for Proposed Changes to Partnership Debt Basis Allocation Rules." For additional coverage, read these articles in Tax Notes:Private Tax Collection Shake-Up as One Contractor Replaces TwoHouse Panel Approves IRS Budget Boost as Rettig Seeks MoreMillions Anxious for IRS Guidance on Unemployment, Advocate SaysWyden Bill ‘Imminent' to End Private Garnishment of Stimulus PayCaseload Fluctuations Concern National Taxpayer AdvocateIRS Funding Tops Taxpayer Advocate's Legislative RecommendationsFollow us on Twitter:David Stewart: @TaxStewTax Notes: @TaxNotes**This episode is sponsored by Avalara. For more information, visit avalara.com/taxnotes.This episode is sponsored by SafeSend. For more information, visit safesend.com.This episode is sponsored by the UC Irvine School of Law's Graduate Tax Program. For more information, visit https://ce.uci.edu/?utm_source=TNM&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=2022taxnote.We are excited to announce the new Tax Notes Transfer Pricing Center! For more information, visit taxnotes.com/transferpricing.***CreditsHost: David D. StewartExecutive Producers: Jasper B. Smith, Paige JonesShowrunner and Audio Engineer: Jordan ParrishGuest Relations: Christa Goad

Have you received an IRS payment due notice? Have your tried to call the IRS to get a question answered? Are you still waiting for your 2020 refund? As the IRS recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Service is facing many challenges, including how to balance enforcement while at the same time providing taxpayer service. Many taxpayers are frustrated with the long hold times and even being disconnected. Millions of taxpayers are still waiting for their 2020, and some their 2019, tax returns. I will discuss with the former National Taxpayer Advocate of the United States, Nina Olson, how the IRS is possibly going to fix these issues and what taxpayers can expect over the next few months. https://www.taxpayer-rights.org/

Most people don't know that the IRS has a person whose singular focus is on the rights of the taxpayer. For 19 years, our guest Nina Olson filled that role as the National Taxpayer Advocate of the United States, an independent organization within the Internal Revenue Service, dedicated to assisting taxpayers in resolving their problems with the IRS. Today, Nina serves as Executive Director and Founder of the Center for Taxpayer Rights, a non-profit organization, dedicated to furthering taxpayer rights in the U.S. and internationally.  In today's episode, Nina and Jane discuss the struggles taxpayers are having with contacting the IRS, its staff shortage, its technology challenges, and what the future may hold for the IRS. Get the full show notes and more resources at TaxWarriors.com/Podcast.

Have you received an IRS payment due notice? Have your tried to call the IRS to get a question answered? Are you still waiting for your 2020 refund? As the IRS recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Service is facing many challenges, including how to balance enforcement while at the same time providing taxpayer service. Many taxpayers are frustrated with the long hold times and even being disconnected. Millions of taxpayers are still waiting for their 2020, and some their 2019, tax returns. I will discuss with the former National Taxpayer Advocate of the United States, Nina Olson, how the IRS is possibly going to fix these issues and what taxpayers can expect over the next few months. https://www.taxpayer-rights.org/

You should be aware of Nina Olson if you are interested in taxes. She was National Taxpayer Advocate for 18 years, cementing the role for leadership of the Taxpayer Advocate Service. She has crossed the nation to get taxpayer feedback, testified before Congress, and submitted annual reports to Congress. Now, she is the Executive Director of the Center for Taxpayer Rights and plans their annual International Conference on Taxpayer Rights. She is an outspoken voice for disadvantaged taxpayers and it was a pleasure to speak with her for this extra-length episode 150 interview.   We discussed the following items - creativity and taxes, persistence to get major accomplishments in the tax system, carpooling with Keith Fogg, the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, the state of current tax reform, the Taxpayer Roadmap, the dichotomy of the IRS regarding enforcement and benefits administration, the Center for Taxpayer Rights, learning from international tax administration for the United States, working in the tax system toward a “mission accomplished” goal, the goal of someday owning goats, and collecting dinosaurs.

The National Taxpayer Advocate compared Low Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC) organization to superheroes in a recent blog post:   https://www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/news/nta-blog-not-all-superheroes-wear-capes-join-the-low-income-taxpayer-clinic-community-and-be-a-hero-to-taxpayers-most-in-need/   Within that blog post, she cites the IRS has the application period open through April 16 for organizations to apply in order to establish a new tax clinic. There is a need for expansion regarding expansion of coverage in Arizona, Florida, Idaho, and Pennsylvania. Also, there are no clinics currently in Nevada, North Dakota, West Virginia, Wyoming, and Puerto Rico.   I talk through some of the LITC requirements, but they are all listed in IRS Publication 3319. After that, I discuss the grant report. These are various IRS Form 13424 forms, such as 13424-A, 13424-B, etc.   I encourage you to establish a clinic if you have the resources. Otherwise, please consider making a donation or volunteering with your local clinic!

The IRS is asking Congress for another $4 billion to implement the Taxpayer First Act and to overhaul the agency's public-facing services. This comes as the National Taxpayer Advocate details how the agency is struggling with the budget it's already got. IRS personnel answered only 24% of taxpayer calls during fiscal 2020, and callers waited on-hold for an average of 18 minutes. For more on where the IRS can step up its service to the public, Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman spoke with former National Taxpayer Advocate, now the executive director of New America’s Center for Taxpayer Rights, Nina Olson.

Just like the Bill of Rights in the United States Constitution, there is a Taxpayer Bill of Rights for each taxpayer in their dealings with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Nina Olson, National Taxpayer Advocate once said, At their core, taxpayer rights are human rights. Learn in detail about each of these 10 rights that are due each taxpayer. I will discuss the organization that offers free help to taxpayers, Taxpayer Advocate Service.

We chat with Nina Olson, the Executive Director, Founder, Treasurer, Member, and on the Board of Directors of the Center for Taxpayer Rights. Nina founded and directed The Community Tax Law Project, the first independent low income taxpayer clinic in the US. Afterwards, Nina served as the National Taxpayer Advocate of the US from March 2001 to July 2019. An advocate dedicated to helping taxpayers resolve their problems, she has submitted 39 annual reports to Congress and testified before Congress over 60 times. In 2019 she founded the Center for Taxpayer Rights, a nonprofit organization dedicated to furthering taxpayer rights in the US and overseas.   Center for Taxpayer Rights International Conference on Taxpayer Rights TaxChat! Low Income Taxpayer Clinic Support Amicus Briefs Taxpayer Advocates & Ombudsmen

Around 160 million economic impact payments have been distributed by the IRS.  This is a feat that must be applauded!  However, not everyone received their payments.  In this podcast episode, I will discuss those who did not receive their payments – those who were explicitly mentioned in the statutory language, those who were added later by FAQs from the IRS, and those who were lost in the shuffle.  The National Taxpayer Advocate, Erin M. Collins, wrote about how the Taxpayer Advocate Service can assist beginning August 10.  https://taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/news/nta-blog-tas-to-assist-correcting-eip-amounts-for-limited-groups-of-taxpayers?category=Tax%20News The former National Taxpayer Advocate, Nina Olson, wrote in Procedurally Taxing about how the IRS still has work to do to get economic impact payments to vulnerable taxpayers. https://procedurallytaxing.com/irs-we-applaud-your-work-and-we-feel-your-pain-but-we-need-you-to-do-more-to-get-dollars-out-to-vulnerable-taxpayers/

This episode will be a mixture of tax topics.  What is in this tax gumbo, you ask?  First, we start with student reflection papers to tax procedure.  Hear about their reactions to this kind of work and how it may affect them.  Following that, there is tax news such as the new National Taxpayer Advocate, Erin M. Collins.  Finally, there are coronavirus shutdowns that affect the tax world.  I hope this is a tasty mix of tax sustenance to get you through this current situation.

Not many federal employees get to speak truth to power. But the taxpayer advocate at the IRS is required to. Each year the advocate evaluates the IRS problems and challenges that affect taxpayers, and issues recommendations for the agency and for Congress. For the latest, Federal Drive with Tom Temin turned to the Acting National Taxpayer Advocate, Bridget Roberts.

The sheer size and scope of the tax changes within the CARES Act and subsequent relief legislation created significant administrative challenges for the IRS and taxpayers alike.The National Taxpayer Advocate found that despite the significant relief Congress has provided, many taxpayers and businesses have had difficulty navigating the various tax provisions.And even though the most recent relief legislation, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, addressed some issues with the CARES Act, confusion and compliance challenges remain. For example:Taxpayers with direct deposit information with the IRS received their recovery rebates quickly, while others lacking this information, such as non-tax filers and beneficiaries of programs such as Social Security, waited longer.Uncertainty persists among individuals who received recovery rebates or unemployment benefits about whether those benefits are taxable.As Tax Day 2021 approaches, confusion will likely increase as taxpayers receive different refund amounts than expected due to their eligibility under relief provisions.Despite clarifications in the most recent COVID-19 relief legislation, some businesses may still be unsure about the deductibility of expenses paid for with Paycheck Protection Program loans and differences between various payroll tax provisions, among other things.This experience highlights the importance for policymakers to prioritize simplicity in future relief efforts and in tax legislation in general.To discuss this issue and other lessons we can learn from COVID-19 relief legislation so far, Tax Foundation and the The Tax Institute at H&R Block hosted a special Talking Tax Reform webinar discussion, which was moderated by Tax Foundation President Scott Hodge and featured several of today's leading economic and tax experts:Elaine Maag, Principal Research Associate, Urban-Brookings Tax Policy CenterKevin Martin, J.D., LL.M., Principal Tax Research Analyst, The Tax Institute at H&R BlockErica York, Economist, Tax Foundation

In part 2 of her interview with Tax Notes senior reporter William Hoffman, former National Taxpayer Advocate Nina Olson discusses her ongoing fight for taxpayer rights and the upcoming fifth International Conference on Taxpayer Rights in South Africa.For additional coverage, read these articles in Tax Notes:IRS Free Tax Return Preparation Remains Out of ReachPreparers See Benefits of Form 1040-SR, but Maybe Not for ThemPolitically Active Exempts May Have Escaped IRS PenaltiesA Look Ahead: Focus on Low-Income, ESL Taxpayers in IRS Overhaul, Advocates SayEnforcement Push Puts Taxpayer Rights at Risk, Olson Frets

Nina Olson, who retired as the National Taxpayer Advocate six months ago, talks about her new nonprofit and the need for Treasury to soon name her permanent successor. This is part 1 of her interview with Tax Notes senior reporter William Hoffman. For additional coverage, read these articles in Tax Notes:IRS Free Tax Return Preparation Remains Out of ReachTaxpayer Advocate Stresses Link Between IRS Enforcement, ServiceA Look Ahead: Focus on Low-Income, ESL Taxpayers in IRS Overhaul, Advocates SayEnforcement Push Puts Taxpayer Rights at Risk, Olson FretsRettig Names Acting National Taxpayer AdvocateOlson Bids Adieu, Leaving ‘Big Shoes to Be Filled’In Willis Weighs In, Tax Notes contributing editor Ben Willis discusses vote-to-value disparity related to his article.

This episode begins with Nina Olson, who retired on July 31, 2019, from as the National Taxpayer Advocate.  She founded the Center for Taxpayer Rights and through that Center is establishing a Low Income Taxpayer Clinic Support Center.  She provided details about how the Center will assist those clinics with funding and in other ways.  Those interested in being considered to serve on the Advisory Board would need to briefly describe your program, your own experience, and what you think you could bring to the LITC Advisory Board.  Also, she described subscriptions Tax Analysts are providing for LITCs.  They would need to give the name of the LITC and the email address for the appropriate contact person to receive the subscription.  The first email goes to neo and the second goes to info, both at taxpayer-rights.org.   Next, I described items I am working on.  I have been writing articles (Procedurally Taxing and the ABA Tax Times).  I have also lined up speaking engagements throughout Kansas.  I am part of the Collection Due Process Summit Initiative.  We have 3 panels for the ABA Fall Tax Meeting in San Francisco in October and are planning the Low Income Taxpayer Representation Workshop in Washington, D.C. in December. Kansas Legal Services has a Trivia Night fundraiser and I was on the committee that planned the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association's Lawyer Well-Being Summit.  If you are interested in donating or participating, please contact me by email schmidtw at klsinc.org.  

Nina Olson retires July 31, 2019 as National Taxpayer Advocate.  This episode is a discussion of her legacy.  She is closely connected with the Taxpayer Advocate Service so I discuss how they have helped me with identity theft and refund offset bypass cases.

Greetings, this is Kelly Coughlin, CPA, and CEO of EveryDay CPA providing tax accounting and revenue solutions to individuals and businesses throughout the U.S. In today’s podcast, I am going to interview a former grizzly bear. Yep! In a former life, for 30 years, he was a grizzly bear who took the shape of an IRS Officer, seizing assets and pursuing DOJ tax lien foreclosures. David Ronquillo began his career as a revenue officer in 1980 in Seattle. He has held positions as Field Collection Group Manager and Senior Collection Policy Analyst. Currently, he is helping tax professionals increase their knowledge and skills representing clients who are dealing with the IRS Collection operations. David, I want to welcome you to the EveryDay CPA Podcast. Kelly: I have a couple more questions on kind of the behind the scenes dynamics of the collection area, one is, what are some of the motivators or behind the scenes incentives that influence an agent that works on these cases, that work in favor of the taxpayer, and certainly which ones don’t work in favor of the taxpayer? I am thinking, you know, there is a pressure to close the case to get it off the table, right? We have heard all that, is that a fair statement, that there is the pressure to gets things closed, right? David: Right. Kelly: Does that pressure help the taxpayer or hurt the taxpayer or is a neutral? David: It can depend, and I can see it go both ways, for example, if it’s an egregious case, you know, the way that they ran the tax up, you know, a trust fund recovery penalty is a classic example. IRS may spend more time on it digging for assets or digging for a way to collect what is owed, simply because of the way the tax was generated or how cooperative - did they do what the revenue officer asks them to do or are they going out to try to refinance their house? So, in those instances, the case may be directly classified as a case that’s over-age. It used to be nine months. If the case was older than nine months in the inventory it was over age so then management starts looking at it a lot closer trying to figure out, what do we need to do to close this case? But if it’s a good enough case where it should not be closed, the IRS is not going to close it. On the other hand, if it’s a simple payment agreement, taxpayers can come in, they can make monthly payments, case is getting old, hey, let’s get the payment agreement written up and let’s get it closed. Let’s move on to something else. So, the pressure on closing the case can work both ways, it just depends on what your circumstances are. In dealing with the revenue officer, I always take the choice, because I hear these advertisements on the radio, oh, yeah, we do battle with the IRS, we fight the IRS, this and that. I don’t fight the IRS because it’s not effective. When people would fight me or fight my revenue officers, it was never effective because I used to tell taxpayers when I was a revenue officer, you don’t want to cooperate, fine, I will clear my desk and I will just have your case on my desk and I will spend all my time on it trying to figure out how I am going to collect from you, okay? So, because you are having an interaction with another individual, another human being, and people like to be treated well, like to be treated nice, the revenue officer is the same way, they go home from work to a family, to a family dog, they are regular people. So, I always advocate, try to solve the case for the revenue officer. If you know what the rules are, the procedures are, what the internal revenue manual calls for with the case within those parameters. If they owe tax you know that the revenue officer is going to want a 433-A, a financial statement or if it’s a business 433-B, you know what the standards are, don’t ask the revenue officer to grant $5,000 expense for mortgage and utilities when the standard for the area is like 2,000 bucks. So, work to resolve the case for the revenue officer, that way they don’t have to spend as much time of concentration on your case. Be cooperative, you have got a deadline, try to meet the deadline. If you can’t meet the deadline, at least call the revenue officer ahead of time and say I can’t meet the deadline and this is why, and generally they will extend the deadline. Don’t argue with them over issues that are not important, okay? In my example, the mortgage and utilities are $5,000, the standard is $2,000, why are you arguing with them over that? You probably won’t get it. I mean, you can put a little bit, but why, “Here is all the utility bills and this is why.” But I would much rather spend my time arguing with the revenue officer over something that they did wrong rather than something that I know my chances of winning are slim to none. Kelly: You keep referring to the revenue officer, what’s the hierarchy of IRS case management, the point of contact, taxpayer? And, parenthetically, I am going to assume that you recommend in most cases that a taxpayer get help from a professional that knows how to navigate these areas, is that a fair statement? David: Yeah, It is. It depends on the case. It depends on how much the taxpayer owes. If the taxpayer owes $5,000 and they can pay $500 a month then I would just tell them, hey, call the IRS or send in a letter to the IRS that you want to make a monthly payment agreement. If they owe $50,000 or $150,000 then that’s a lot different, and then it depends on what they have. Taxpayers, what I have seen, they don’t want to spend their time trying to deal with the IRS. They don’t know how the IRS works; they don’t know how the IRS thinks; they don’t know the IRS language and they don’t know what the IRS can do to them. And I have had taxpayers come to me after they have dealt with the IRS, and generally, they have a deadline put on them and now they want me to fix the problem. And that’s like, well, you’ve got a deadline from the IRS which is in three days and you expect me to do all this work for you, and if the work is not done, financial statement is not submitted, they are going to lobby. I can’t guarantee you that I can do this. My recommendation to taxpayers is, do not contact the IRS. Generally, if you owe enough money and you don’t feel confident in dealing with the IRS, contact a professional that knows what they are doing, knows how to deal with the IRS, because you’ll probably sleep a lot better at nights rather than you trying to deal with the IRS. Kelly: And if you are a tax professional and you don’t know how to navigate through this side of the IRS area, the collection area, then that’s your focus now in your business enterprise, correct? You are helping tax professionals navigate through these waters? David: Yes. I am going to stop representing taxpayers, simply, because I have done it for close to 40 years. And what I would rather do now is just simply act as a consultant to tax professionals. If they have questions, I’ll help them develop strategies on particular cases. You know, I attended the National Association Enrolled Agents conference at Las Vegas every year and those are good conferences but what I see happening is that you have folks coming in and they kind of learn representation to add it on to their practice, which is good, but you sit there in a seminar for an hour to an hour and a half to two hours, for example, on filling out a financial statement, 433-A, that’s really, in my opinion, not enough, because there are implications to what you put down on that 433-A. Anybody can fill it out because you are just putting down numbers. So, if you write down for real estate, three bedrooms, two bath resident, that its fair market value is $500,000, and the mortgage against it is $100,000, for equity of $400,000, you have to know how the IRS is going to look at that $400,000, especially a revenue officer. You just can’t submit that 433-A and say to a revenue officer, here it is, and have yourself wide open or no prepare your client. The revenue officer is going to ask you to go borrow, so let’s get started right now. Kelly: Right, right. David: So, the seminars are good but until you really get out and start working cases, Offers in Compromises is another one, the Acceptance Rates on Offers in Compromise is just under 50 percent. I don’t submit a lot of offers but everyone, I’ve probably submitted maybe about 10, 15, at the most, everyone has been accepted except for one, and that is because she went and got a job, that increased her income which kind of blew the offer up. You know, you have to be really, really careful on what you are doing so that you can achieve success for your clients. So, my plans now going into the future is, do consulting work. People want to call me up, this is what I have got, this is the type of case, I can kind of walk them through it, and try this, this and this, and if that doesn’t work, you know what, let’s try this. And just, you know, basically be a coach is what I want to do. Kelly: Yeah, got it. So, back to that question, hierarchy of case management, you have got the revenue officer, the next level up from that, like his supervisor, what do you call that supervisor? David: That is the group manager, and that group manager is going to supervise anywhere from 10 to 15 revenue officers; above that is the territory manager - that was my last position, it was a territory manager, and they are supervising anywhere, nowadays, because the personnel has shrunken, you know, five to 10 groups. And then above the territory manager is the area director and he or she is supervising…They have States, like here in Texas we are a part of the golf state area, that area director is in Huston. And golf state, they did some reconfiguration, but it used to be Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia and Tennessee, and, I think, Arkansas. Kelly: Okay. So, back to revenue officer, so, let’s say we have got a revenue officer that says, I want to go after retirement assets, I think earlier you said they have to go up three levels so does that mean it goes to the area director or the territory manager? David: Goes to the group manager, the group manager forwards it to the territory manager who forwards it up to the area director. Kelly: Alright. David: Every area has what’s called a technical analyst and this person will review the case for the area director, looking at the technical aspects of the case - does it meets the requirement for whatever the revenue officer is asking for? And if the technical analyst says, yes, this is good, they will give it to the area director and then he or she will sign off on it and they’ll go and come back tomorrow and open the levy. Kelly: That’s retirement assets and then the personal residence, same thing but it goes up one level above that, did you say? David: Yeah, it will go up through the area director and then it goes over to a special unit called advisory, and these are senior revenue officers that will look at the case again for technical issues. Does it meets the technical, the legal and technical, does it meets the requirements for doing the seizure? The case will then move over to IRS council’s office for review. They will review it for the same thing and they will then forward it over to the Department of Justice Civil Tax Division for the DOJ to take it in to Federal District Court to get an appointment to take it to the Federal District Court. Kelly: Okay, that’s very helpful. I have two final questions, unrelated, where you talked about OIC and some of these other tactics that are used to deal with liabilities. Let’s talk about CNC, Currently Not Collectable, once a tax liability goes into CNC classification that kind of puts everything on hold, there is no more collection activity, when does it get further attention, it won’t stay in there forever? What’s the catalyst to get it out of that, is it a tax return that gets filed and then the IRS notices, oh, this guy is making ten times the income now, is that more or less what happens? David: That is what happens, the IRS when they see a case they will set an income threshold. It’s in the internal revenue manual on how they calculate that. What they are looking at is necessary living expenses, and they set the threshold a little bit higher than what the necessary living expenses are because they don’t want a case that is generating out just because the taxpayer went $5 over what their necessary living expenses were, but they’ll set a threshold and then when subsequently file tax return, the income will be matched up against what the threshold is. And if their income is now greater than what the threshold is the case will then be regenerated out for collection because the assumption is the taxpayer is making more money now they can start paying towards something. If the taxpayer never exceeds that threshold the case will never come out, the statute will expire and that will be the end of it. Kelly: Alright, okay. David: And even, I think, if the taxpayer doesn’t file tax returns it won’t be put out of CNC status but what will happen is the IRS will be asking for the tax returns which is a whole other area to go into. Kelly: Yeah, right, right, okay. Alright, the final question is on internal collection versus external collection. A part of these ads we see on TV is, the IRS has hired a bevy of external collection agents that will really go after you, if you think your life was bad before, it really will be bad now. What are the facts on that? David: Now, there is big controversy over these private debt collections. The National Taxpayer Advocate is definitely opposed to it. IRS management, they tried this a number of years ago because they want to assign the low hanging fruit to cases that they cannot collect, the CNC cases to these private debt collectors. The most that they can do is make a phone call, try to locate the taxpayer and make a phone call but when it comes to actually resolving the case, say for example it’s a CNC case, private debt collector gets in touch with them and the taxpayer says, well, okay, I want to pay $100 a month, that case has to go back to IRS. IRS has to set up the payment agreement. They have no enforcement authority, basically, they are just trying to talk people into paying what they owe, track them down and pay what they owe. Internally, like we said at the beginning, the brown bear can chase them up the tree but the grizzly bear can just rip the tree out, that’s what IRS can do. Kelly: Yeah, right. Well, that is terrific. So, your market now is to help tax professionals help other taxpayers with tax liability issues. How would you like them to get in touch with you, telephone call, email? David: My email is david@dfwtaxhelp. That’s delta foxtrot whiskey tax help, h e l p.com. I have a website dfwtaxhelp.com, phone number is 214.997.4470. Kelly: That’s great. David: Yes, people have questions, you know, and I will tell you, NAEA just came out with this forum where people can post questions, and I look at that sometimes and people will post a question on collection issues, maybe something on an offer, and various people will respond. And I look at that and I think to myself, the person that is asking the question is maybe getting two or three lines of an answer. And in a lot of stuff in collection there is permutations to it, there is different nuances that can occur. You can plan to go down one path and you have to know what’s down that path that can mess things up. So, I see that forum is good for quick short answers but if you really, really want to know how to handle a specific situation you really need to talk to somebody that is familiar with the situation that can give you some good directions, to give you good ideas on strategies of what to do. Kelly: That’s terrific. Well, David, I look forward to having you on my team to help me and my customers deal with this because I think you are a terrific resource to have and I am glad that that former grizzly bear is in my corner and are helping people. I like that. David: I like that. I will have to tell my colleagues that I am still with the IRS. It’s terrific. Well, thank you, Kelly. Kelly: Thanks. David: Alright. Kelly: I enjoy talking to you, great. Bye. David: Alright, bye, bye.

I am covering a couple items in this episode.  First, I hosted a panel at Kansas City's main comic convention, Planet Comicon, called "Business and Legal Issues for Comic Creators."  I discuss some of the issues comic creators will face.  Next, I talk about the IRS webinar "Filing is the Thing to Do, Even if You Have a Balance Due" - what I agree with and what I do not.  Finally, the main issue I focus on is a recent blog posting by the National Taxpayer Advocate discussing improvements needed for IRS notices.  She believes the notices can be improved with scientific methods and simplified to increase understanding and clarity.  Do I agree?  Here's a spoiler: Yes!

Nina Olson is a recent recipient of the 2019 Janet Spragens Pro Bono Award.  She is also convening the 4th International Conference on Taxpayer Rights May 22-24, 2019, at University of Minnesota School of Law.  The biggest news is that she announced her retirement from being National Taxpayer Advocate on July 31, 2019.  I spend the episode discussing these items.  She has done so much for several programs, including the IRS, the Low Income Taxpayer Clinics, the Taxpayer Advocate Service and low income taxpayers.

Life is never easy for the IRS but the past few months have been particularly challenging. The agency experienced budget ups and downs, a long government shutdown and is dealing with a complex new tax code. How has this affected its customers the nation's taxpayers? For highlights of her latest report to Congress, Federal Drive with Tom Temin spoke with National Taxpayer Advocate Nina Olson, whose office was also furloughed for five weeks.

Learn about IRS resources.  What is available on their website?  What are some pointers for authorization forms 8821 and 2848?  Find out information on the Taxpayer Advocate Service, National Taxpayer Advocate, Taxpayer Assistance Centers, Practitioner Priority Line and Stakeholder Liaisons.

National Taxpayer Advocate Nina Olson has questioned the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) method for reporting customer service satisfaction, calling it misleading.  

Less than a year out from next year's tax filing season and the IRS is still busy programming into its systems the changes from last year's tax reform law. Amid this activity, the Senate Finance Committee has chosen to introduce yet another change. Members propose jumpstarting a long-dormant IRS oversight board. Federal News Radio's Jory Heckman joined Federal Drive with Tom Temin to provide more information.

The Internal Revenue Service has long had an on-again off-again relationship with private tax debt collectors. At the moment, it's using them. That has National Taxpayer Advocate Nina Olson concerned that the private collectors are hammering on the people least able to pay or if they do pay they might not be able to feed their families. Olson shares the details on Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

National Taxpayer Advocate Nina Olson reported that changes in the new tax law will create hurdles for IRS in preparing for next filing season.

In today's Federal Newscast, National Taxpayer Advocate Nina Olson reports low-income Americans are still being targeted by private debt collectors hired by the IRS, despite her year-old recommendation to stop the practice.  

In this week's Tax Credit Tuesday podcast, Michael J. Novogradac, CPA, discusses two reports on tax expenditures, one from the Government Accountability Office and one from the National Taxpayer Advocate, and the Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner's resignation and President Obama's nomination of Jack Lew. In new markets tax credit news, he invites listeners to the Novogradac New Markets Tax Credit Conference. In historic tax credit news, he alerts listeners to the National Trust for Historic Preservation's call for nominations for its 2013 list of the Most Endangered Historic Places. In low-income housing tax credit news, he discusses the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's HOME and the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Guidebook. In renewable energy news, he discusses a Journal of Tax Credits article about attracting investors to renewable energy projects.

In this week's Tax Credit Tuesday podcast, Michael J. Novogradac, CPA, discusses two reports on tax expenditures, one from the Government Accountability Office and one from the National Taxpayer Advocate, and the Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner's resignation and President Obama's nomination of Jack Lew. In new markets tax credit news, he invites listeners to the Novogradac New Markets Tax Credit Conference. In historic tax credit news, he alerts listeners to the National Trust for Historic Preservation's call for nominations for its 2013 list of the Most Endangered Historic Places. In low-income housing tax credit news, he discusses the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's HOME and the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Guidebook. In renewable energy news, he discusses a Journal of Tax Credits article about attracting investors to renewable energy projects.