March 23, 2006
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Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Recruitment Applications Now Being Accepted
Deadline to Apply is April 28, 2006

Washington, DC – The Department of Treasury, along with the Internal Revenue Service, is inviting individuals to help improve the nation's tax agency by applying to be members of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (TAP).  The mission of the Panel is to listen to taxpayers, identify taxpayers' issues, and make recommendations for improving IRS service and customer satisfaction. TAP provides citizen input by identifying problems and making recommendations for improvement of IRS systems and procedures; elevating the identified problems to the appropriate IRS official; and referring individual taxpayers to the appropriate IRS office for assistance in resolving their problems.  The Panel's subcommittees will consist of 10-18 volunteer members who serve at the pleasure of the Secretary of Treasury and will function solely as advisory bodies.           

The TAP program is supported by the National Taxpayer Advocate's Office and works on issues identified by the IRS, taxpayers and the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel members. The National Taxpayer Advocate is the taxpayers' voice within the IRS and reports directly to the Commissioner of Internal Revenue and to Congress through two annual reports.

"As the IRS continues to examine taxpayers' needs in the area of service, the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel has emerged as a vital source for gathering and providing information from the perspective of taxpayers," stated Nina E. Olson, National Taxpayer Advocate. "TAP's role will ultimately aid taxpayers by supplying them with the top quality service that they deserve."

Taxpayer Advocacy Panel members:

• Get direct input from taxpayers about their experiences with the IRS.
• Identify and prioritize issues of greatest concern to taxpayers.  
• Make recommendations to the IRS and Treasury on customer-service issues.
• Work with the IRS to help taxpayers address key issues and concerns. 
• Report annually to Treasury, the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, and the National Taxpayer Advocate.

To qualify as a TAP member, applicants must be U.S. citizens, be able to make a significant time commitment to the panel, and meet certain other eligibility requirements. 

Further details and the application are available on-line at www.improveirs.org or by calling 1-888-912-1227. You can apply on-line or download the form and mail it to:

                                    Milwaukee TAP Office
                                    Stop 1006MIL
                                    310 West Wisconsin Avenue
                                    Milwaukee, WI 53203-2221                                   

Applications must be received by the TAP Office by April 28, 2006.

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