TAXPAYER BILL OF RIGHTS

IN JUNE OF THIS YEAR THE IRS ADOPTED A PROPOSAL FROM THE TAXPAYER ADVOCATES OFFICE CALLED “THE TAXPAYER BILL OF RIGHTS”.  I HAVE COPIED A LINK BELOW.  

HTTP://TAXPAYERADVOCATE.IRS.GOV/ABOUT-TAS/TAXPAYER-RIGHTS

THE 10 “RIGHTS” ARE AS FOLLOWS:
1.     THE RIGHT TO BE INFORMED.
2.     THE RIGHT TO QUALITY SERVICE.
3.     THE RIGHT TO PAY NO MORE THAN THE CORRECT AMOUNT OF TAX.
4.     THE RIGHT TO CHALLENGE THE IRS’S POSITION AND BE HEARD.
5.     THE RIGHT TO APPEAL AN IRS DECISION IN AN INDEPENDENT FORUM.
6.     THE RIGHT TO FINALITY.
7.     THE RIGHT TO PRIVACY.
8.     THE RIGHT TO CONFIDENTIALITY.
9.     THE RIGHT TO RETAIN REPRESENTATION.
10.  THE RIGHT TO A FAIR AND JUST TAX SYSTEM.

I’M SURE THAT MOST (ALL?) OF YOU DID NOT KNOW THAT THE IRS HAD ADOPTED THESE “RIGHTS”.  I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO CLICK THE LINK ABOVE AND READ THE EXPLANATION OF THESE RIGHTS AND WATCH THE VIDEO.  IT IS VERY INFORMATIVE.

OF THESE RIGHTS LISTED ABOVE, I WOULD ARGUE THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT IS NUMBER 9.  IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT WHENEVER YOU DEAL WITH THE IRS YOU USE A QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL WHOSE HAS DEALT WITH THE IRS ON THESE MATTERS.

I HAVE BEEN REPRESENTING CLIENTS BEFORE THE IRS FOR OVER 25 YEARS.  BY FAR THE BIGGEST PROBLEM WE HAVE IS CLIENTS BRINGING IRS NOTICES TO US VERY LATE IN THE PROCESS.

FOR EXAMPLE, SOMEONE BROUGHT ME A NOTICE OF DEFICIENCY THEY HAD RECEIVED.  A NOTICE OF DEFICIENCY IS ISSUED AFTER AN AUDIT HAS BEEN CONDUCTED.  AFTER THIS NOTICE IS ISSUED, THE TAXPAYER HAS 90 DAYS TO FILE AN APPEAL WITH THE TAX COURT.  THIS DEFICIENCY WAS OVER $7,000; THAT’S A LOT OF MONEY FOR MOST OF MY CLIENTS.

AND YET, BY THE TIME I SAW THE NOTICE THERE WERE ONLY 4 DAYS AVAILABLE TO FILE TO THE TAX COURT!  

I BELIEVE THE TAXPAYER IS IN THE RIGHT.  HOWEVER, BECAUSE THEY DID NOT USE THE RIGHTS AVAILABLE TO THEM, IT IS GOING TO BE MUCH HARDER TO RETRIEVE THE $7,000 I BELIEVE THEY ARE OWED.

WHEN CONFRONTED BY IRS ACTIONS, DO NOT DELAY IN A RESPONSE.  AND PLEASE, DO NOT GO IT ALONE.  CALL OUR OFFICE.  WE HAVE LOTS OF EXPERIENCE DEALING WITH THE IRS.

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