M&C News Archive

Sharing Economy Tax Information

Many taxpayers work or engage in services that are considered to be a part of the gig or shared economy services. These services often originate through peer-to-peer interactions such as ride-share programs, room rentals, and other freelance work. Following the May 2016 hearing, Taxpayer Advocate Service worked with the IRS to create the information contained on the pages listed below to help y...

National Taxpayer Advocate Nina Olson testifies on IRS Reform before the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight

National Taxpayer Advocate Nina E. Olson testified before the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight today at a hearing entitled, “IRS Reform: Lessons Learned from the National Taxpayer Advocate.”  Olson cited data showing that building trust with taxpayers correlates with increased voluntary tax compliance and said respecting taxpayer rights is critical to building tru...

National Taxpayer Advocate Public Forum Transcripts

"[You] ask people, okay, if you had the choice between trying to find the answer to a government question online, yourself, or just picking up the phone and calling somebody, which would you prefer? Sixty percent of people say they prefer to pick up the phone, including half of millennials."  — Rick Parrish, Senior Analyst serving Customer Experience Professionals, Forrester...

Success Story: TAS assists victims of VITA Site Preparer Fraud

Every year the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) helps thousands of people with tax problems. This story is only one of many examples of how TAS helps resolve taxpayer issues. All personal details are removed to protect the privacy of the taxpayer. The director of a large Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site contacted TAS with concerns about refund amounts some of her clients received on t...

NTA Nina Olson receives 2017 American Bar Association Section of Taxation Distinguished Service Award

On May 13, 2017, National Taxpayer Advocate Nina Olson was honored by the American Bar Association Section of Taxation with the 2017 Distinguished Service Award for her outstanding service to the tax profession, the federal government, and the Section of Taxation. This award honors “individuals with distinguished careers in tax law and who have provided an aspirational standard for all ta...

2nd International Conference on Taxpayer Rights Videos Now Available

It’s not too late to enhance your knowledge of taxpayer rights on a global scale. Experience conversations held during panel discussions among leaders in their fields throughout the conference held at WU (Vienna University of Economics & Business) in March 2017. Videos of all the panel discussions and presentations from the second International Conference on Taxpayer Rights are now availa...

Success Story: TAS Effectively Advocates for Taxpayers Claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)

Every year the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) helps thousands of people with tax problems. This story is only one of many examples of how TAS helps resolve taxpayer issues. All personal details are removed to protect the privacy of the taxpayer. A parent couple who filed as married filing jointly were denied by the IRS their claim for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Child Tax Credi...

National Taxpayer Advocate Nina Olson sits down with C-SPAN’s “Your Money” series to discuss the 2017 Tax Season

As tax day approaches, many taxpayers experience challenges in preparing and filing their tax returns. As part of a broadcast by C-SPAN Washington Journal’s “Your Money” series, National Taxpayer Advocate Nina Olson sat down with host John McArdle on April 10th for nearly an hour to discuss some of the hurdles taxpayers face and explain how the Taxpayer Advocate Service can he...

2017 Tax Forums will feature TAS seminars and the Case Resolution Program

Each year the IRS sponsors the Nationwide Tax Forums, a three-day series of tax education and networking conferences for tax professionals in cities around the country. These events feature the latest information from the IRS, news about tax law changes, the chance to meet with software vendors and the opportunity to attend nearly 50 seminars presented by IRS employees and members of profession...

2nd International Conference on Taxpayer Rights takes place in Vienna, Austria

  National Taxpayer Advocate Nina E. Olson convened the 2nd International Conference on Taxpayer Rights in Vienna, Austria on March 13 and 14. Hosted by the Institute for Austrian and International Tax Law at the Vienna University of Economics and Business, the conference brought together the world’s foremost experts in tax law and tax administration to discuss the most pressing iss...