IR-2014-13, Feb. 12, 2014 WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service recommended and the Department of Treasury approved the selection of 27 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 46 returning members to round out the panel of 73 volunteers for 2014. The new members were selected from more than 400 interested individuals from across the country who applied during an open recruitment period last spring or the pool of alternate members who applied in prior years. "TAP member volunteers are counted on to recognize important taxpayer issues and bring them to our attention,” said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. “Their work and advice help the IRS serve the nation’s taxpayers.” 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 recommendations to avoid future 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, 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 priority topics, primarily those involving the Wage & Investment and Small Business/Self-Employed operating divisions. Members also serve as a conduit 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. TAP members are demographically and geographically diverse, providing balanced representation from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Taxpayers can contact the TAP representative for their geographic area by calling 888-912-1227 (a toll-free call) or via the Internet at www.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 Individuals interested in volunteering to serve on the TAP for 2015 may submit an application via the website www.improveirs.org during the next open recruiting period, which will begin in March 2014. A list of the new TAP members by location is included below. Last name First Name City State Goia Daniela Garden Grove CA Jeppson Catherine Northridge CA O'Laughlin Jeanie Los Angeles CA Webber Stephen Glendale CA Halleman Dan Thornton CO Kautzman Mary Windermere FL Cooney Gretchen Holstein IA VanSingel Andrew Brookfield IL Thies David Alton IL Jones Gina Delhi LA Tucker Hyacinth Bowie MD Chaney Elizabeth Lansing MI Robinette L. Keith Ozark MO Fulton Jamelda Greenville MS Allen Stephen Matthews NC Trottier Angie Mandan ND Moore Page Omaha NE Aguirre Juan Cleveland Heights OH Kindred Samuel Westerville OH Mathews Jeanne South Park PA Patel Mahendra Mechanicsburg PA Mendez Giovanni San Juan PR Paquette Roger Cumberland RI Mayer Lonnie Tripp SD Vetter William Cypress TX Murphy-Adams Elizabeth Tacoma WA Slough John Martinsburg WV Follow the IRS on New Media Subscribe to IRS Newswire
