IR-2018-67, March 21, 2018 WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service recommended and the Department of the Treasury has approved the selection of 25 new members to serve on the nationwide Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (TAP). The TAP is a federal advisory committee charged with providing taxpayer suggestions to improve IRS customer service. The new TAP members will join 40 returning members to round out the panel of 65 volunteers for 2018. See the list below for member names. The new members were selected from more than 700 interested individuals who applied during an open recruitment period last spring and the pool of alternate members who applied in prior years. The TAP listens to taxpayers, identifies issues, and makes suggestions for improving IRS service and customer satisfaction. Oversight and program support for the TAP are provided by the Taxpayer Advocate Service, an independent organization within the IRS that helps resolve taxpayer problems and makes administrative and legislative recommendations to mitigate systemic problems. “To meet the needs of the taxpaying public, it is critical that the IRS listen to taxpayers to hear what their needs and preferences are,” said Nina E. Olson, the National Taxpayer Advocate. “The citizen volunteers who serve on the TAP are, first and foremost, taxpayers who bring a taxpayer perspective to bear in advising on the IRS’s taxpayer service activities.” TAP members work with IRS executives on a variety of topics, with an emphasis on those involving the Wage & Investment and Small Business/Self-Employed operating divisions. Members also serve as conduits for bringing grassroots concerns raised by the taxpaying public to the attention of the IRS. TAP members are U.S. citizens who volunteer to serve a three-year appointment and are expected to devote 200 to 300 hours per year to panel activities. To the extent possible, TAP members are demographically and geographically diverse, providing balanced representation from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. In addition, there is one TAP member from abroad who represents the interests of taxpayers working, living, or doing business abroad or in a U.S. territory. Taxpayers can contact the TAP representative for their geographic area by calling 888-912-1227 (a toll-free call) or online. (https://improveirs.org/) Taxpayers can also send written correspondence to the TAP at the following address: Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (TAP) TA: TAP, Room 1509 1111 Constitution Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20224 2018 TAP New and Returning Members, by location: * = New member Location Last name First name AL *Russell Richard AR Hoff Gary AZ *Tracy Kathryn CA *Creggett Kathleen CA Herman Richard CA Medina Loren CA *Mosely Tiffany CO Petersen Kristen CT Smolnik Dan DC *Campbell Sheila DE *Clark-Robinson Kimberly FL Azzaro Alice FL Sowell James GA *Kleiber Phillip GA *Sampson Joseph HI Tsujimura Ruth IA Hower Angela ID *Stratton Bruce IL Brookens Michelle IL Mason Kimberly IN *Vanderver Stephen IN *Sewald Marco KS *Sachs Kathy KY Hall Scott KY Horton Felicia LA Dorsey Tasheka MA *Shamochian Michael MD *Selden Stephen ME Bemis Ellen MN Kasal Millicent MO Florence Mary MO Martin Joseph MS Buchanan David MT Doak Penny NC Manasa Harold NE Hunter Jeri NH Hutchins Micoya NJ *Walrond Carmela NM Davis Kathy NV *Rendo Carlos NY Hirschfield Heidi NY Illickal Manoj NY *Peterson Bernard NY *Sabio Robin OH *Johnson Ryan OH Nelson Diana OK Olsen Sheila PA Burrows Alyssa PR Torres Jacob RI Wennermark Susan SC Weeks Juliana SD Oliver Zanobia TN Mason William TN *Smith Thurston TX Frausto Victor TX Jones David TX Pierre Kimberly TX *Tessmer April UT *Aganikian Vahagn UT *Bunner Tracy VA *Kusiak Patrick WA *Williams Cheryl WI Hoffman Holly WV Holley Joseph WY Bolin Timothy
