Our Work

As part of its mission to improve the IRS, the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (TAP) acts as a two-way channel between the IRS and the general public that:

Identifies taxpayer issues based on feedback submitted to TAP by the general public and raises these issues directly to the IRS.
Submits recommendations to the IRS to improve efficiency, adjust problematic systems or procedures, and improve taxpayer service.
Works closely with IRS employees to resolve problems, monitoring IRS progress in implementing and maintaining solutions.
Listens to taxpayers through events that are open to the public and designed to gather information on
IRS issues.

TAP Releases 2011 Annual Report

TThe Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (TAP) has released its 2011 Annual Report, which fulfills TAP’s responsibility under its charter to provide an annual written report that summarizes TAP’s activities and recommendations during the preceding year. Read the 2011 Annual Report news release.

TAP’s accomplishments in 2011 include 41 recommendations and 25 projects the panel provided to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to improve IRS service and customer satisfaction.

The 2011 Annual Report highlights key TAP recommendations... Continue>>

Active Issues

Current TAP issues include:

Issue 16865 recommends adding a check box to Form 5227, Split Interest Trust Information Return, to avoid mailing of unnecessary forms.
Issue 17411 identifies ways to improve readability of documents by removing the shading.
Issue 17836 encourages the IRS to waive penalties for e-filing for tax practitioners in rural areas.

Committees

TAP members are divided into five separate Project Committees that focus on specific issues. In addition, the Joint Committee is made up of representatives from each Project Committee. These committees are empowered to work directly with the IRS to provide observations or recommendations on issues and areas for improvement, and monitor the status and progress of issues.

Project Committees

Joint Committee