IRS Reform

President Trump recently signed the Taxpayer First Act into law.  This bill will overhaul certain areas of the Internal Revenue Service, including the Office of Appeals.  It is meant to provide new protections to taxpayers and also provide a much needed improvement to customer service. The IRS also has a year to submit a plan to Congress on changes it will make to serve the taxpayer first.

Taxpayers will now have more rights during the appeal process.  The appeals process will now be independent and ensure that the taxpayer has the same information that the IRS has.  It also reins in prior IRS abuses of seized assets without due process.

There are also improvements to helping identity theft victims, including better instructions on the steps to take if you have had your identity stolen.  Furthermore, within five years all taxpayers will be able to obtain a PIN number to protect their identity.

The law also provides more protections to whistleblowers including anti-retaliation provisions.  Finally, the law is meant to modernize the IRS, which still uses antiquated systems from decades ago.