Washington, D.C.—U.S.Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) and Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) lauded today’s committee passage of legislation that would improve the taxpayer experience by strengthening taxpayer rights and modernizing IRS operations, helping build a more efficient, responsive and taxpayer-focused tax administration system.
The committee’s 26-1 passage of the Taxpayer Assistance and Service (TAS) Act, which includes recommendations from the National Taxpayer Advocate and committee members from both parties, sends the legislation to the full Senate for consideration.
“Today the Finance Committee took an important step towards common sense reforms that will protect taxpayers and modernize the IRS,” Wyden said. “I look forward to advancing these reforms and getting them signed in to law so American taxpayers are no longer scammed by shady tax prep schemes and will get help filing their taxes and marks a key step towards restoring fairness to the tax system.”
Wyden also spotlighted a provision in the bill that would help farmers and fishermen in Oregon by extending their annual filing deadline from March 1 to April 15.
“I’ve heard in town halls and other settings throughout the state how confusing it’s been for farmers and fisherman to have a filing deadline separate from the standard April 15 date for individuals,” Wyden said. “I’m gratified the work to secure the end of this needless confusion for these hardworking Oregonians is in the bill.”
“This product reflects years of bipartisan efforts to translate stories of casework frustrations into tangible fixes designed to make the IRS work more efficiently for the American people,” said Crapo. “I thank Senator Wyden and members of the Committee for their partnership in this effort and look forward to advancing this comprehensive, bipartisan bill.”
More information on the bill from today’s hearing is here.
A web version of this release is here.