To make a statement about a perceived need for changes within the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the House of Representatives will vote on a number of significant bills dealing with the agency and the nation’s tax code on Wednesday, April 15, which is also known as Tax Day.
The legislative items, all of which were unanimously approved by the Ways and Means Committee this year, are designed to stop IRS abuse, create accountability for the IRS and its employees, and protect the rights of American citizens as they deal with tax-related issues.
Rep. Peter Roskam (R-IL), chairman of the Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee, is involved in a number of the bills as author, co-sponsor or supporter. He introduced the Fair Treatment for All Gifts Act (HR 1104) this year, which is the first bill on Wednesday’s list.
Roskam explained that HR 1104 would ensure that when someone makes a donation to a nonprofit, there will not be a gift tax on the transaction so that 100 percent of the gift can benefit the organization.
“Americans who donate to tax-exempt organizations should always be treated fairly and equally by the IRS — an agency with an infamous track record of targeting individuals for their religious and political beliefs,” he said.
Several other tax bills will move through the House on Wednesday. The Taxpayer Bill of Rights Act of 2015 (HR 1058) would create and enforce a strong Bill of Rights for taxpayers, including rights to quality service, to pay no more than the correct amount of tax, to privacy, and to be heard when challenging the IRS’s position.
The Taxpayer Knowledge of IRS Investigations Act (HR 1026) would amend the tax code to stop the IRS’s alleged abuse of taxpayer privacy protections to prosecute government employees who improperly look at or reveal taxpayer information.
The Prevent Targeting at the IRS Act (HR 709) would reiterate that an agent’s use of IRS authority in targeting individuals or groups based on their political affiliation is grounds for termination.
Other measures to be voted on are amendments that would prohibit IRS officers and employees from using personal email accounts to conduct official business, to streamline the application process and clarify exemptions from taxation under the current 501(c) code, and to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for a right to an administrative appeal relating to adverse determinations of tax-exempt status of certain organizations.