The National Taxpayer Advocate in an annual report has called on the IRS to adopt a comprehensive taxpayer bill of rights to increase trust in the agency and strengthen its ability to serve the public.
In her 2013 report to Congress, Taxpayer Advocate Nina Olson also warned that the agency is underfunded in its mission to serve taxpayers.
“The year 2013 was a very challenging one for the IRS. Because of sequestration, the IRS’s funding was substantially cut, which translated into a reduction in taxpayer service,” Olson said in releasing the report.
“Public trust in its fairness and impartiality was called into question because of reports the IRS subjected certain applicants for tax-exempt status to greater review based on political-sounding names,” she added, continuing that the 16-day shutdown prevented the agency from completing preparations for the upcoming tax filing season on time.
The report notes that the agency’s processing of applications for tax-exempt status violated eight of the ten rights Olson proposed for taxpayers – many of which are on the books but not centralized in any practical way.
