Bipartisan Bill Proposes First Major IRS Overhaul Since 1998
* Narrow the definition of "perishable" to only things that are liable to perish: John Doe summons must be narrowly tailored to seek only information that pertains to the failure or potential failure of a person or group to comply with federal tax law.
Prevent those making under 250 percent of the federal poverty level from being referred to private collection agencies for delinquent tax debt.
Require the IRS to inform taxpayers if they intend to contact third parties like friends, neighbors or clients for an audit.
Prevent anyone other than an officer or employee of the IRS from examining books, records and witness testimony as part of an examination, other than for the sole purpose of serving as an expert: Codify recent public/private cybersecurity efforts
Codify the refocusing of Electron Tax Administration Advisory Committee efforts towards cybersecurity.
Establish a single point of contact within the IRS for any taxpayer who is the victim of identity theft: * Prohibit the IRS from from providing taxpayer information to any contractors or other agents of a federal, state or local agency if they do not have identity theft safeguards in place: Require the IRS to develop and implement an IT strategic plan: Require the development of robust and secure online accounts for taxpayers and preparers by 2023: * Require the IRS to develop an Internet portal allowing people to file Forms 1099 online: Allow the IRS to automate processing of Income Verification Express Service requests: Limit return information redisclosures by the taxpayer's designee to only those to which the taxpayer has explicitly consented.
Require the IRS to develop uniform standards for the use of electronic signatures for disclosure authorizations to and of practitioners.
Allow the IRS to accept credit and debit card payments for taxes directly: * Change the name of the head of the IRS from "Commissioner" to "Administrator."
Eliminate the IRS Oversight Board: Allow the IRS to develop a modernization plan and submit it to Congress prior to making any organizational changes.
Subject Tax Court judges to the same grounds for disqualification as other federal judges.
Replaces the non-judicial terms "report" and "decision" with "opinion" and "judgment" respectively.
"Special trial judges" would be renamed "magistrate judges."
Comments on the proposal to the House Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee
will be accepted until April 6, 2018. Please submit your comments electronically to irsreform@mail.house.gov.