IRS Adopts Taxpayer Bill of Rights

In time for its wave of letters and inquires resulting from the 2014 filing season, the Taxpayer Advocacy Service of the IRS has issued a revised Taxpayer Bill of Rights.  The effort is made to group the various rights that are scattered throughout the tax code and put them into one comprehensive document.

The IRS has grouped the various rights into ten broad categories.   They are the right to:

1. Be informed,
2. Quality service,
3. Pay no more than the correct amount of tax,
4. Challenge the IRS’s position and be heard,
5. Appeal an IRS decision in an independent forum,
6. Finality,
7. Privacy,
8. Confidentiality,
9. Retain representation, and
10. A fair and just tax system.

IRS Commissioner John Koskinen stated that “These are core concepts about which taxpayers should be aware. Respecting taxpayer rights continues to be a top priority for IRS employees, and the new Taxpayer Bill of Rights summarizes these important protections in a clearer, more understandable format than ever before.”

There have been numerous tax bills that were titled as a Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights.  But IRS surveys consistently indicate that taxpayers do not believe they have any rights with the IRS, or if they do, they certainly can’t name them. With the 2014 notice and correspondence season at its peak, the IRS is seeking to change this perception.

If you have already received correspondence from the IRS regarding your 2014 tax return (or prior year returns) and need help assessing your rights with the IRS, schedule your free consultation by calling (480) 888-7111 [or submit a web request here].