Uncategorized

July 1, 2024 – On June 26, 2024, I submitted to Congress the National Taxpayer Advocate Fiscal Year 2025 Objectives Report to Congress, which outlines the 2024 filing season and identifies key objectives my organization will undertake for the upcoming fiscal year. The report identifies our key objectives for the upcoming fiscal year, including 11 systemic…

National Taxpayer Advocate Erin M. Collins today released her statutorily mandated midyear report to Congress. The report says the tax return filing season generally ran smoothly this year, but it identifies delays in issuing refunds to identity theft victims, misleading telephone measures that lead to poor resource allocation decisions, and delays in processing Employee Retention…

On June 20, 2024, the IRS announced delays in posting payments made through the Electronic Federal Payment Posting System (EFPPS). This means the IRS experienced a higher volume than normal of electronic payments, which has caused a significant delay in processing payment records for payments received on or after April 18, 2024.   Taxpayers can use…

June 18, 2024 – Electric vehicles, typically referred to as “EVs,” are all the rage these days, not just because of environmental friendliness but also because of the significant financial incentives available to buyers. The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 amended IRC § 30D for new clean vehicles and added IRC § 25E for previously owned…

From smartphones to social media algorithms and virtual assistants, artificial intelligence (AI) has permeated nearly every aspect of our lives, even taxes. But advice you get from an AI chatbot may not be as good as you think it is. In reality, AI is a rapidly evolving new technology, and may not be able to…

June 6, 2024 – No one asks to become a victim of identity theft. When taxpayers deal with these challenges, the last thing they need is an unreasonable delay in receiving their tax refunds. Yet sadly, hundreds of thousands of taxpayers each year discover they are victims of tax-related identity theft when they electronically submit…

May 21. 2024 – International information return penalties are often thought of as primarily affecting rich people or multinational corporations with significant overseas assets. This is not true. Taxpayers – many of whom are lower- and middle-income individuals, small and midsize business owners, and immigrants – face significant and potentially life-changing penalties, even when they…

Join the Taxpayer Advocate Service at the 2024 IRS Nationwide Tax Forum Join hundreds of tax professionals at the 2024 IRS Nationwide Tax Forum. It is a great place to earn Continuing Professional Education Credits, network with other tax experts, learn about tax law changes, the latest news from the IRS, and resolve your difficult…

Disasters can happen at any time, so it’s important to be prepared. Good recordkeeping can help you get back on your feet quickly when disaster strikes.   One of the best things you can do to keep your records safe is to take advantage of paperless recordkeeping options in addition to your paper records. This way,…

On March 11, 2024, the Treasury Department released its fiscal year (FY) 2025 Green Book of revenue proposals, which includes a proposal to essentially eliminate almost all remaining requirements to obtain written supervisory approval for penalties. Rather than focus on training IRS employees and enforcing the law enacted by Congress to protect taxpayer rights, Treasury…