Heller, Roberts introduce bill to enhance taxpayer protections, cut red tape for small businesses

Legislation introduced by U.S. Sens. Dean Heller (R-NV) and Pat Roberts (R-KS) on April 17 would cut Internal Revenue Service compliance burdens that plague small businesses and enhance taxpayer protections.

The Small Business Taxpayer Bill of Rights Act, S. 2689, would require written consent from the IRS district director or assistant director before foreclosure of a tax lien and the sale of a taxpayer’s property. It would also enable the IRS to release levies that can cause hardship for the nation’s small business owners.

“All too often Nevada’s small business owners tell me that onerous regulations are holding them back from expanding their companies and hiring more workers,” Sen. Heller said. “That’s why I’m proud to help introduce the Small Business Taxpayer Bill of Rights Act, legislation that puts the IRS on notice and strengthens taxpayer protections so that these local job creators can focus on growth rather than bureaucracy.”

The U.S. Small Business Administration counts approximately 246,000 small businesses in the state of Nevada and more than 450,000 small business employees, according to Heller’s office.

“When small businesses succeed, Nevada succeeds and I’ll continue to fight for policies that allow our local employers to thrive and prosper,” Heller added.

Introduced by U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) with Sens. Heller and Roberts signing on as original cosponsors, the bill has been referred to the U.S. Senate Finance Committee.

“Small businesses should be able to focus on growth rather than spending scarce resources on compliance with onerous and burdensome tax policies,” Sen. Roberts said, adding that the bill will give small businesses “the protections they need to prosper.”

Research conducted by the American Action Forum indicates that taxpayers have spent more than 8 billion hours on IRS paperwork over the last year, totaling nearly $200 billion in costs.

“Each year, Tax Day reminds us that small business owners must spend thousands of hours conforming to IRS requirements instead of boosting the economy and creating jobs,” Sen. Cornyn said. “This bill lowers the compliance burden, strengthens taxpayer protections and ensures small businesses are not targeted for additional scrutiny based on discrimination.”