NATP in Support of the Taxpayer First Act

On August 2, NATP sent a letter in support of the Taxpayer First Act to the Senate Finance Committee, specifically the Subcommittee on Taxation and IRS Oversight. We wrote to the Honorable Rob Portman, Chairman, and Honorable Mark Warner, Ranking Member, that we support of the Subcommittee’s efforts to improve the some of the administrative practices at the IRS.

We know from firsthand daily experience with taxpayers, the benefits that will accrue to millions across this country when the IRS operates more effectively and efficiently. We applaud the bipartisan work done in both chambers that has resulted in this important bill.

A consistent refrain we hear from our members is the need for improved customer service from the IRS. Any service improvements to the IRS’s administrative practices that that expedite issue resolution and response times to questions is an improvement that will ensure better services from tax preparers and result in less frustrated taxpayers. This is especially true when a taxpayer is dealing with the disruptive problem of identity theft. We are also happy to see that your bill provides for streamlined critical pay authority for IT positions. Few changes would be more broad-reaching and consequential service enhancements than improving the functionality of the IT operations at the IRS. Whether it is updating existing systems or implementing new ones, it is imperative that the most qualified and experienced professionals are at the helm leading these efforts.

We commend the efforts of the Chairman, Ranking Member, and the other co-sponsors your leadership and persistence on these issues and we will work to support passage of this bill and any bills that improve the IRS.

Review the complete letter submitted