The U.S. House of Representatives advanced a bill to reform and restructure the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as a service-first agency to better serve taxpayers.
The Taxpayer First Act (H.R. 1957) was sponsored by Reps. Mike Kelly (R-PA) and John Lewis (D-GA). It would require the IRS to alter several of its current practices to focus on service and make it more accountable to Congress and the public.
“Today, Republicans and Democrats set aside their differences and passed legislation together that will greatly benefit U.S. taxpayers,” Kelly said. “The IRS is one of few federal agencies that Americans, whether they like it or not, will have a constant relationship with throughout their lives. The bill we passed today will make sure that relationship is built on trust rather than fear, and that taxpayers’ rights are safeguarded when they interact with the agency. To protect the integrity of our voluntary tax compliance system, the IRS should be a resource for Americans, not their adversary.”
The bill would completely restructure the agency to improve efficiency, bolster cyber security, and require it to develop a customer service plan based on private sector best practices. Further, it would establish an independent appeals board to ensure that taxpayers receive a fair hearing during disputes. The goal is to ensure the IRS provides taxpayers and small businesses the assistance they deserve.
The bill now moves to the Senate for further consideration.