This past May, at the conclusion of the AICPA’s Spring Meeting of Council, several hundred CPAs from across the nation met with Members of Congress to ask for their support of consolidating existing IRS units into a Practitioner Services Division so that taxpayer issues are more efficiently resolved. These efforts proved effective – IRS Commissioner Rettig announced last week that he is considering the creation of a Practitioner Services Division, saying he understands the need for such a unit.

In the Spring, representatives from WSCPA met with the Washington delegation to share how tax practitioners now rely on many different IRS programs, processes and tools situated throughout the organization to resolve clients’ tax issues. They also discussed how the operating systems for these programs do not easily communicate with each other and do not have access to the same taxpayer information.

The IRS is undergoing many changes as a result of recent legislation, including the IRS Modernization Act and the Taxpayer First Act of 2019, recently signed by the President. Our efforts on Capitol Hill to encourage the administrative creation of the Practitioners Services Division has raised awareness and we will work to keep the effort moving to ensure it remains part of the IRS’ overall modernization plan. The WSCPA therefore encourages Congress to support the creation of the Practitioner Services Division through administrative means.

The WSCPA believes that the development of this Division is a key component of the ongoing modernization of the IRS and can provide practitioners with the ability to help taxpayers more easily navigate the complexities of the U.S. tax code. “The creation of the Practitioners Services Division is something that we hope all members of Congress will support,” said Kimberly Scott, WSCPA President & CEO. “The announcement by IRS Commissioner Rettig is an encouraging step, and we must continue to express strong support for this action as the IRS works to develop its restructuring and modernization plan.”

As the IRS begins to move into a new era of modernizing its practices, policies and systems, we believe that tax professionals should have the tools to aid taxpayers in successfully adhering to the updated tax code. While the announcement from the IRS is promising, we must continue our efforts until this important division is established, and the WSCPA will continue to advocate for tax preparers and IRS efficiency.