Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Members Selected

 

Notice: Historical Content


This is an archival or historical document and may not reflect current law, policies or procedures.

IR-2014-13, Feb. 12, 2014                                                                                        

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service recommended and the Department of Treasury approved the selection of 27 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 46 returning members to round out the panel of 73 volunteers for 2014. The new members were selected from more than 400 interested individuals from across the country who applied during an open recruitment period last spring or the pool of alternate members who applied in prior years.

"TAP member volunteers are counted on to recognize important taxpayer issues and bring them to our attention,” said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. “Their work and advice help the IRS serve the nation’s taxpayers.”
 
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 recommendations to avoid future 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, 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 priority topics, primarily those involving the Wage & Investment and Small Business/Self-Employed operating divisions. Members also serve as a conduit 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. TAP members are demographically and geographically diverse, providing balanced representation from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

Taxpayers can contact the TAP representative for their geographic area by calling 888-912-1227 (a toll-free call) or via the Internet at www.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

Individuals interested in volunteering to serve on the TAP for 2015 may submit an application via the website www.improveirs.org during the next open recruiting period, which will begin in March 2014.

A list of the new TAP members by location is included below.

Last name First Name City State
Goia Daniela Garden Grove CA
Jeppson Catherine Northridge CA
O'Laughlin Jeanie Los Angeles CA
Webber Stephen Glendale CA
Halleman Dan Thornton CO
Kautzman Mary Windermere FL
Cooney Gretchen Holstein IA
VanSingel Andrew Brookfield IL
Thies David Alton IL
Jones Gina Delhi LA
Tucker Hyacinth Bowie MD
Chaney Elizabeth Lansing MI
Robinette L. Keith Ozark MO
Fulton Jamelda Greenville MS
Allen Stephen Matthews NC
Trottier Angie Mandan ND
Moore Page Omaha NE
Aguirre Juan Cleveland Heights OH
Kindred Samuel Westerville OH
Mathews Jeanne South Park PA
Patel Mahendra Mechanicsburg PA
Mendez Giovanni San Juan PR
Paquette Roger Cumberland RI
Mayer Lonnie Tripp SD
Vetter William Cypress TX
Murphy-Adams Elizabeth Tacoma WA
Slough John Martinsburg WV

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