Taxpayer Advocacy Panel
(TAP)
Want to improve
the IRS?¨SPEAK
UP
Andrea Price, TAP member representing Ohio
Guest Column
The Taxpayer Advocacy Panel is comprised of civic-minded
citizen volunteers from all walks of life representing each
state, D.C., Puerto Rico and an international member
(citizens living, working or doing business abroad). TAP is
a Federal Advisory Committee whose mission is to listen to
taxpayers, identify taxpayers’ issues and make suggestions
for improving the IRS service and customer satisfaction.
Everyone has something to say about taxes and the IRS.
Please take a moment to give us your suggestions for TAP to
consider by contacting one of the following:
TAP Ohio member:
tapohioandreaprice@gmail.com
Call Toll-free at:1-888-912-1227
Website:
www.improveirs.org
The Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) is your voice at the
IRS. TAS provides oversight and support for the Taxpayer
Advocacy Panel (TAP), a
federal advisory committee.
The panel, established in 2002, consists up to 75
volunteers. To be a member of TAP, a person must be a U.S.
citizen, be current with federal tax obligations, and pass a
Federal Bureau of Investigation criminal background check.
Members cannot be federally registered lobbyists. In
addition, current Department of the Treasury and IRS
employees cannot serve on the panel, and former Department
of the Treasury or IRS employees and former TAP members must
have a three-year separation from their service to be
eligible for appointment. Tax practitioner applicants must
be in good standing with the IRS (meaning not currently
under suspension or disbarment).
The TAP will begin accepting applications in February for
new members or alternates. New TAP members will serve a
three-year term beginning December 2021. Applicants chosen
as alternate members will be considered to fill any
vacancies that open in their areas during the next three
years.
If the TAP’s mission interests you, we invite you to apply
to serve on the panel and help the IRS understand how it can
better assist taxpayers. As the IRS works to understand how
to do a better job of meeting taxpayer needs, it needs to
hear directly from taxpayers – and that’s why the TAP is so
important.
TAP members generally spend 200 to 300 hours per year
identifying major taxpayer concerns and making
recommendations to address them. The TAP’s six core Project
Committees submitted 224 recommendations to the IRS in 2019.
Members of the TAP have a wide variety of backgrounds, such
as health care, real estate, higher education, military
service, and local government. You don’t need any knowledge
of tax administration to serve – just a desire to improve
the services and operations of the IRS. You can learn more
about the TAP in by visiting www.improveirs.org for
more information, including details about the application
process.
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