The Los Angeles Post

IRS seeks membership nominations for the 2025 Internal Revenue Service Advisory Council; establishes new Subcommittee on Fairness in Tax Administration

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IR-2024-114, April 18, 2024, WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service is accepting applications for the 2025 Internal Revenue Service Advisory Council (IRSAC) through May 31, 2024, including nominees for a new subcommittee focused on fairness issues.

 

The IRSAC serves as an advisory body to the IRS commissioner and agency leadership. The group is organized under the Federal Advisory Committee Act and includes volunteer members with a diverse set of interests in tax issues. IRSAC provides an organized forum for discussion of relevant tax administration issues between IRS officials and representatives of the public.

 

The advisory council:

  • Proposes enhancements to IRS operations.
  • Recommends administrative and policy changes to improve taxpayer services, fairness in tax administration and compliance.
  • Discusses issues and recommends solutions relevant to information reporting.
  • Addresses matters concerning tax exempt and government entities.
  • Conveys the public’s perception of professional standards and best practices for tax professionals.

 

In addition, this January IRSAC will launch its first-ever Subcommittee on Fairness in Tax Administration that will join the existing five subcommittees. This new subcommittee will review and issue specific recommendations related to fairness in tax administration for low-income communities, communities of color and other historically underserved populations. The subcommittee will focus on how the IRS can identify and address any tax administration disparities that may limit some communities from fully benefiting from and contributing to the nation’s economic growth and prosperity. Potential focus areas will include disparities in audit selection, tax credit uptake and financial access, scam prevention, data analysis as well as outreach and education strategies.

 

The new IRSAC Subcommittee on Fairness in Tax Administration will coordinate with the Treasury Advisory Committee on Racial Equity (TACRE), which previously provided recommendations to Treasury and IRS on addressing racial disparities in audit selection.

 

IRSAC’s other subcommittees focus on Information Reporting, Large Business & International, Small Business/Self-Employed, Tax-Exempt/Government Entities and Taxpayer Services.

 

IRSAC members are appointed to three-year terms by the IRS commissioner and submit a report to IRS leadership annually at a public meeting. The IRS is accepting applications for terms that begin in January 2025.

 

Nominations of qualified individuals may come from individuals or organizations. IRSAC members are drawn from diverse backgrounds representing a cross-section of the taxpaying public with experience in:

  • Tax preparation for individuals, small businesses and large multi-national corporations.
  • Tax exempt and government entities.
  • Information reporting.
  • Taxpayer or consumer advocacy.
  • Fairness in tax administration.
  • Civil rights and community engagement.

 

Applications should document the proposed member’s qualifications. Applicants must be in good standing with their own tax obligations and demonstrate high professional and ethical standards. All applicants must apply and pass a tax compliance and practitioner check. For those applicants deemed “best qualified,” FBI fingerprint checks are required.

 

More information, including the application form, is available on the IRSAC webpage. Questions about the application process can be emailed to [email protected].