On February 19, 2020, the National Society of Accountants (NSA) responded to the IRS request for comments on the proposed IRS restructuring contained in the Taxpayer First Act (TFA). The suggestions come as a response to the solicitation for industry commentary presented at the Taxpayer First Act discovery meeting held on January 15, 2020, which was attended by NSA and other national organizations.
While given the opportunity to be a signatory on a letter drafted by various other industry organizations, the NSA opted to deliver an independent response. NSA’s suggestions draw from decades of advocacy and a strong relationship with the IRS, the Office of the National Taxpayer Liaison, IRS Tax Forums, the Electronic Tax Administration Advisory Committee, and the Internal Revenue Service Advisory Council.
NSA’s suggestions included:
- modernizing IRS technological infrastructure,
- adopting a tiered customer service framework,
- enhanced training and employee empowerment,
- leveraging communications and input from tax practitioners, and
- support for the development of a tax practitioner-specific service unit within the IRS.
“NSA’s membership of tax and accounting professionals appreciates the opportunity to provide input in the process and we welcome the open dialogue environment the IRS has established. We are committed to assisting the agency in any way possible…to achieve the requirements of the TFA,” wrote NSA CEO John Rice. “We stand ready to help.”
Download a copy of NSA’s response to the IRS here: https://www.nsacct.org/viewdocument/irs-suggestions-for-irs-restructuri