Those of us who worked for the “Service” were told to reply “the government” when asked where we worked. Image: Leonid Sorokin/Shutterstock.com
The first ten amendments to the Constitution of the United States are called The Bill of Rights. It was necessary to enshrine certain rights in order to get enough states to ratify the Constitution. The interpretation of these rights has varied based on decisions made by the Supreme Court and will likely continue to vary as both the Court and times change.
There’s another ten item Bill of Rights that applies to you and me, and it’s promulgated by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Despite its unearned bad reputation, the IRS guarantees rights to taxpayers; it’s not like the tax collectors depicted in comic strips like Hagar the Horrible® (who wear black hoods and carry double-headed battle axes). Those of us who worked for the “Service” were told to reply “the government” when asked where we worked. To this day, I’ll say “Treasury” in response to inquiries about where I worked back when I was a government employee.
Here’s the Taxpayer Bill of Rights.
1. The right to be informed. Taxpayers have the right to know what they need to do to comply with the tax laws. This includes receiving clear explanations of laws and procedures, and to be kept informed of any IRS decisions about their tax accounts.
2. The right to quality service. The service should be prompt, courteous, and professional. Sometimes, during filing season, the IRS falls down on this right.
3. The right to pay no more than the correct amount of tax. Of course, there’s a corollary to this right – the responsibility to pay the correct amount of tax.
4. The right to challenge the IRS’ position and be heard. The agency has appeal procedures which will be explained to you when decisions are made.
5. The right to appeal an IRS decision in an independent forum. The IRS Office of Appeals is separate from the part of the agency that assesses and collects taxes. You also generally have the right to take IRS decisions to tax court.
6. The right to finality. You have the right to know timeframes, and statutes of limitations.
7. The right to privacy. You can expect that any IRS examination or enforcement action will comply with due process rights.
8. The right to confidentiality. You also have the right to know that your information is not being shared with any outside parties.
9. The right to retain representation. The IRS will not disclose your tax information to any unauthorized parties – especially those who call you and ask you to pay with gift cards.
10. The right to a fair and just tax system. Though individuals often differ as to whether their tax money is being spent for the “right” programs, they can rest assured that the assessment and collection processes are fair.
Remember, the IRS enforces laws written by Congress; if you don’t like the law, it’s not the IRS’ fault.
John Grobe, President of Federal Career Experts, is an expert in the area of federal employee retirement and benefits. This expertise comes from his 26 year federal career in which he managed the retirement program in a 3,500-employee office of a large federal agency.
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