On Wednesday, the House Ways and Means Committee marked up and unanimously reported 12 bills to reform the IRS. The bipartisan packaged was sponsored by Oversight Subcommittee Chairman Lynn Jenkins (R-KS) and Ranking Member John Lewis (D-GA) and is designed to modernize the IRS and improve customer service. The package requires the IRS to send Congress by September 30, 2020 a comprehensive written plan for reorganizing the agency, including priorities laid out by lawmakers.
Notable reforms include the following:
· Creates a new independent Internal Revenue Service Office of Appeals to ensure that generally all taxpayers are able to access the administrative review process, allowing for their cases to be heard by an independent decision maker.
· Requires the IRS to develop within one year a comprehensive customer service strategy; it must include metrics and benchmarks for measuring the IRS’ success in implementing this strategy.
· Codifies the existing free file program.
· Establishes an income threshold for referring taxpayers to the agency’s private debt collection program.
· Codifies recent efforts at public-private partnerships to protect taxpayers from identity theft.
· Requires the IRS to develop and implement an IT strategic plan.
· Requires the IRS to develop online accounts for taxpayers and their preparers by 2023.
· Requires the IRS to develop and submit to Congress a plan for modernizing the agency’s structure.
You can find a more detailed description of the package here.
The House Rules Committee announced yesterday that the House will be voting on the package next week. While it is expected to pass the House, that is by no means a guarantee that the Senate will pass the package or even consider it. It’s hardly unusual for the Senate not to accept a House product, no matter how bipartisan—especially in an election year.
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