Legislation from U.S. Sens. Mike Crapo (R-ID) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) to modernize the Internal Revenue Service was unanimously approved recently.
The Taxpayer Assistance and Service (TAS) Act would implement some 65 reforms lawmakers said would modernize the IRS, strengthen taxpayer rights and improve the agency’s ability to administer the tax code predictably and efficiently.
“Taxpayers deserve a tax system that is competent, responsive and works for them,” Crapo, chair of the Senate Finance Committee, said. “The Taxpayer Assistance and Service Act is designed to provide taxpayers with top-quality service and ensure their rights are protected. I thank Ranking Member Wyden and the members of the Finance Committee for their partnership in developing this bipartisan legislation and look forward to advancing these commonsense reforms across the finish line this Congress.”
The TAS Act previously advanced out of the Finance Committee with a bipartisan vote of 26-1 and has the support of the National Taxpayer Advocate, and many other advocacy organizations. Officials said the bill would improve communication between the IRS and taxpayers, streamline processes for tax compliance, and ensure taxpayers have access to timely expert assistance, among other reforms.
“One of the most absurd things about our tax system is that its complexity forces millions of Americans to turn to paid tax return preparers ever year, but there are zero minimum standards in place to ensure those paid preparers actually know what they’re doing or follow the law. Crooked tax return preparers are regularly exploiting taxpayers to pad their own bottom lines, and the worst part is, taxpayers might not even realize they’ve been ripped off until it’s too late,” Wyden, the finance committee’s ranking member, said. “This bipartisan bill has been in the works for years, and it’s a major opportunity to improve IRS taxpayer service, protect taxpayers and help them get their refunds on time. I’m going to look for every available opportunity to get this bill passed.”