Rep. Peter Roskam (R-Ill.) introduced the “Taxpayer Bill of Rights Act of 2015.” H.R. 1058 makes a strong Bill of Rights a core responsibility of the IRS Commissioner, and ensures that all agency employees provide taxpayers fundamental rights like the rights to quality service, to pay no more than the correct amount of tax, to privacy, and to challenge the IRS’s position and be heard.
“In the past month alone we learned that the IRS hired the contractor responsible for the disastrous rollout of Healthcare.gov and rehired over 300 employees who were previously fired for misconduct or performance issues, including some who had mishandled sensitive taxpayer information. Stories like these continue to erode public trust in the federal government and the IRS in particular. This year we have an opportunity to chart a new path forward by enacting a strong Taxpayer Bill of Rights to preserve the fundamental rights of American citizens. In light of our new majority in Congress, I am confident we can finally send these commonsense protections to the President’s desk. I am grateful to the National Taxpayer Advocate for the work she has done to achieve this reform.”
H.R. 1058 would help the IRS to refocus its core values towards benefiting the American taxpayers rather than avoiding and confusing them.
National Taxpayer Advocate Nina E. Olson writes:
“A Taxpayer Bill of Rights would provide taxpayers with critical information to assist them in their dealings with the IRS, provide the IRS with foundational principles to guide employees in their dealings with taxpayers, and serve as a benchmark to help the IRS leadership and Congress monitor the extent of the agency’s compliance with these rights.”