The U.S. House Ways and Means Committee unanimously approved two bipartisan bills this week led by U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-IA) that would reform specific procedures at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Both bills now head to the full House for action.
“I’m glad that two of my bills to insulate the IRS from partisan politics and make the IRS more accountable to taxpayers passed the Ways and Means Committee,” Rep. Feenstra said. “Serving on the Ways and Means Committee, I will continue to advocate for Iowa taxpayers, push for lower taxes, and make the IRS more responsive and accountable to the American people.
“One bill ensures that the IRS clearly spells out errors on tax forms and helps taxpayers not only understand the mistake but also challenge it if they see fit,” added the congressman, “and the other bill improves customer service and case outcomes at the IRS by finally allowing the nonpartisan National Taxpayer Advocate to hire her own attorneys.”
The committee voted 43-0 to approve the National Taxpayer Advocate Enhancement Act of 2025, H.R. 997, which Rep. Feenstra sponsored on Feb. 5 with bill cosponsor U.S. Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL), to clarify that it is within the purview of the National Taxpayer Advocate to hire attorneys that specifically report to that position and support its efforts to serve taxpayers and work with caseworkers.
U.S. Rep. Jason Smith, chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, said H.R. 997 would “ensure the National Taxpayer Advocate, the organization charged with protecting taxpayers from abuse, remains independent and insulated from interference by the IRS.”
The committee also voted 43-0 to pass the Internal Revenue Service Math and Taxpayer Help (IRS MATH) Act, H.R. 998, which Rep. Feenstra also sponsored on Feb. 5 with cosponsor U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL) to require the IRS to clearly communicate tax-filing errors to taxpayers, identify the item that is being changed, and explain why a tax refund is higher or lower than expected.
Rep. Smith said that the bill “will create a more level playing field for taxpayers by forcing the IRS to notify individuals of any adjustments to their tax return and give them 60 days to challenge that adjustment.”
“The IRS needs to be transparent with the American public when they think a mistake has been made and provide the full scope of changes they are making to a return,” he said. “Anything short of that leaves the taxpayer in the dark and not on equal footing with the agency.”