House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight Chairman John Lewis (D-GA) and Ranking Member Mike Kelly (R-PA) introduced last week the Taxpayer First Act, which they said is designed to reform the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
The goal of the legislation is to modernize the IRS, putting taxpayers first. Its provisions would protect low-income taxpayers, provide sensible enforcement reforms and ensure the IRS provides taxpayers and small businesses the assistance they deserve.
“The IRS is one of the few federal agencies that has a constant relationship with Americans throughout their lives,” Kelly said. “Unfortunately, over the years that relationship has become one of fear and distrust. We can restore Americans’ faith and trust in the IRS by ensuring that the agency is acting as an advocate and meeting the needs of taxpayers.”
The IRS is in desperate need of a refocused mission and the proposed bill seeks to create a service-first agency while repairing the trust it has lost from the American people.
“The House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee have carefully and thoughtfully developed this legislation over several years, after numerous hearings and roundtables, in a bipartisan, bicameral manner,” Lewis and Kelly said in a joint statement with full committee Chairman Richard Neal (D-MA) and Ranking Member Kevin Brady (R-TX).