APPLETON, WIS. / AGILITYPR.NEWS / February 21, 2022 / The National Association of Tax Professionals (NATP), as part of the Tax Professionals United for Taxpayer Relief Coalition, sent a letter to the House Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee acknowledging recent steps taken by the IRS to provide relief to taxpayers, but argues additional action is still needed.

The letter, sent Feb. 16, 2022, to Oversight Subcommittee Chair Bill Pascrell and Oversight Subcommittee Ranking Member Tom Rice, restates the coalition’s requests for the Treasury and the IRS to immediately:

• Temporarily discontinue automated compliance actions until the IRS is prepared to devote the necessary resources for a proper and timely resolution of the matter
• Align requests for account holds with the time it takes the IRS to process any penalty abatement requests
• Offer a reasonable cause penalty waiver, similar to the procedures of first-time abate (FTA) administrative waiver, without affecting the taxpayer’s eligibility for FTA in future tax years
• Provide taxpayers with targeted relief from both the underpayment of estimated tax penalties and the late payment penalty for 2020 and 2021 tax years

The letter was sent in response to an oversight subcommittee hearing with the National Taxpayer Advocate on Feb. 8, 2022, about taxpayers’ challenges.

“The IRS has addressed some of the requests NATP and the coalition made, but we are still concerned about the unresolved issues taxpayers and preparers are facing this tax season, which is arguably the most complicated season yet,” said Scott Artman, CPA, CGMA, NATP executive director. “Taxpayers and preparers are still without a detailed and comprehensive plan from the IRS as to how to mitigate problems and solve outstanding issues.”

The letter to the oversight subcommittee ends urging the committee to continue working with the IRS toward a fair but meaningful resolution to the host of issues raised by taxpayers and advocated.

You can read the full letter on the NATP website. For more information or to speak with someone about NATP’s involvement in the Tax Professionals United for Taxpayer Relief Coalition, email Nancy Kasten or Samantha Strong.