Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Members Selected for 2018

 

Notice: Historical Content


This is an archival or historical document and may not reflect current law, policies or procedures.

IR-2018-67, March 21, 2018

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service recommended and the Department of the Treasury has approved the selection of 25 new members to serve on the nationwide Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (TAP). The TAP is a federal advisory committee charged with providing taxpayer suggestions to improve IRS customer service.

The new TAP members will join 40 returning members to round out the panel of 65 volunteers for 2018. See the list below for member names. The new members were selected from more than 700 interested individuals who applied during an open recruitment period last spring and the pool of alternate members who applied in prior years.

The TAP listens to taxpayers, identifies issues, and makes suggestions for improving IRS service and customer satisfaction. Oversight and program support for the TAP are provided by the Taxpayer Advocate Service, an independent organization within the IRS that helps resolve taxpayer problems and makes administrative and legislative recommendations to mitigate systemic problems.

“To meet the needs of the taxpaying public, it is critical that the IRS listen to taxpayers to hear what their needs and preferences are,” said Nina E. Olson, the National Taxpayer Advocate. “The citizen volunteers who serve on the TAP are, first and foremost, taxpayers who bring a taxpayer perspective to bear in advising on the IRS’s taxpayer service activities.”

TAP members work with IRS executives on a variety of topics, with an emphasis on those involving the Wage & Investment and Small Business/Self-Employed operating divisions. Members also serve as conduits for bringing grassroots concerns raised by the taxpaying public to the attention of the IRS.

TAP members are U.S. citizens who volunteer to serve a three-year appointment and are expected to devote 200 to 300 hours per year to panel activities. To the extent possible, TAP members are demographically and geographically diverse, providing balanced representation from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. In addition, there is one TAP member from abroad who represents the interests of taxpayers working, living, or doing business abroad or in a U.S. territory.

Taxpayers can contact the TAP representative for their geographic area by calling 888-912-1227 (a toll-free call) or online. (https://improveirs.org/) Taxpayers can also send written correspondence to the TAP at the following address:

Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (TAP)
TA: TAP, Room 1509
1111 Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20224

2018 TAP New and Returning Members, by location:

* = New member

Location Last name First name
AL *Russell Richard
AR Hoff Gary
AZ *Tracy Kathryn
CA *Creggett Kathleen
CA Herman Richard
CA Medina Loren
CA *Mosely Tiffany
CO Petersen Kristen
CT Smolnik Dan
DC *Campbell Sheila
DE *Clark-Robinson Kimberly
FL  Azzaro Alice
FL Sowell James
GA *Kleiber Phillip
GA *Sampson Joseph
HI Tsujimura Ruth
IA Hower Angela
ID *Stratton Bruce
IL Brookens Michelle
IL Mason Kimberly
IN *Vanderver Stephen
IN *Sewald Marco
KS *Sachs Kathy
KY Hall Scott
KY Horton Felicia
LA Dorsey Tasheka
MA *Shamochian Michael
MD *Selden Stephen
ME Bemis Ellen
MN Kasal Millicent
MO Florence Mary
MO Martin Joseph
MS Buchanan David
MT Doak Penny
NC Manasa Harold
NE Hunter Jeri
NH Hutchins Micoya
NJ *Walrond Carmela
NM Davis Kathy
NV *Rendo Carlos
NY Hirschfield Heidi
NY Illickal Manoj
NY *Peterson Bernard
NY *Sabio Robin
OH *Johnson Ryan
OH Nelson Diana
OK Olsen Sheila
PA Burrows Alyssa
PR Torres Jacob
RI Wennermark Susan
SC Weeks Juliana
SD Oliver Zanobia
TN Mason William
TN *Smith Thurston
TX Frausto Victor
TX Jones David
TX Pierre Kimberly
TX *Tessmer April
UT *Aganikian Vahagn
UT *Bunner Tracy
VA *Kusiak Patrick
WA *Williams Cheryl
WI Hoffman Holly
WV Holley  Joseph
WY Bolin Timothy