WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) and Mark Warner (D-VA) introduced legislation to improve customer service at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Specifically, the Improving IRS Customer Service Act would expand information regarding refunds available to taxpayers online. The bill would also require the IRS to inform taxpayers applying for installment agreements about available collection alternatives if they appear to have an economic hardship.
“It should be easy for taxpayers to get the information they need from the IRS. Not every interaction with them has to be miserable,” said Dr. Cassidy. “We can streamline the process and give Americans the transparency they expect.”
“The IRS has been the source of massive headaches for taxpayers for years,” said Senator Warner. “I am glad to introduce this legislation that will ease some of this frustration by increasing clear communication and making IRS resources more readily available.”
The Improving IRS Customer Service Act would:
- Establish a dashboard to inform taxpayers of backlogs and wait times;
- Expand electronic access to information and refunds;
- Expand callback technology and online accounts;
- Inform individuals facing economic hardship of collection alternatives.
“By introducing the Improving IRS Customer Service Act, Senator Warner and Senator Cassidy have earned the gratitude of every taxpayer who’s ever had to contend with the IRS’s notoriously inconsistent customer service,” said Pete Sepp, President, National Taxpayers Union. “The sensible reforms in this bill, which include a wait-time dashboard, better access to refund information, customer callback technologies, and fairer measurement of IRS service levels, will all make a big difference in solving some of the more frustrating problems that taxpayers have encountered for years. More complete information on tax collection alternatives for taxpayers facing financial hardships will likewise give hope for many struggling families. This legislation is exactly the kind of guidance Congress needs to provide the IRS for a successful transformation of our entire system of tax administration. National Taxpayers Union is proud to endorse this innovative legislation, and we urge every lawmaker to actively work toward its passage in the remaining days of this Congress.”
“The AICPA strongly supports the legislative proposals outlined in S. 5280, which provide taxpayers and their tax advisors with clear and detailed information from the IRS in an intuitive and interactive format. Additionally, S. 5280 strives to protect the most economically vulnerable taxpayers by doing away with installment agreement fees and offering collection alternatives to those facing economic hardships. Collectively, these proposals will strengthen the public’s confidence in the tax administration system, and we thank Senators Warner and Cassidy for their leadership on this bipartisan bill,” said Melanie Lauridsen, Vice President of Tax Policy & Advocacy for the American Institute of CPAs.
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