Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 19 / Monday, January 31, 2005 / Notices 4917

comments will become a matter of 

public record. Comments are invited on: 

(a) Whether the collection of 

information is necessary for the proper 

performance of the functions of the 

agency, including whether the 

information shall have practical utility; 

(b) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate 

of the burden of the collection of 

information; (c) ways to enhance the 

quality, utility, and clarity of the 

information to be collected; (d) ways to 

minimize the burden of the collection of 

information on respondents, including 

through the use of automated collection 

techniques or other forms of information 

technology; and (e) estimates of capital 

or start-up costs and costs of operation, 

maintenance, and purchase of services 

to provide information.

Approved: January 19, 2005. 

Paul Finger, 

IRS Reports Clearance Officer.

[FR Doc. 05–1739 Filed 1–28–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4830–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Internal Revenue Service 

[REG–120168–97] 

Proposed Collection; Comment 

Request for Regulation Project

AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), 

Treasury.

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: The Department of the 

Treasury, as part of its continuing effort 

to reduce paperwork and respondent 

burden, invites the general public and 

other Federal agencies to take this 

opportunity to comment on proposed 

and/or continuing information 

collections, as required by the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Pub. 

L. 104–13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). 

Currently, the IRS is soliciting 

comments concerning an existing final 

regulation, REG–120168–97 (TD 8798), 

Preparer Due Diligence Requirements 

for Determining Earned Income Credit 

Eligibility.

DATES: Written comments should be 

received on or before April 1, 2005, to 

be assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments 

to Paul Finger, Internal Revenue 

Service, room 6416, 1111 Constitution 

Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20224.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Requests for additional information or 

copies of the regulation should be 

directed to Allan Hopkins, at (202) 622–

6665, or at Internal Revenue Service, 

room 6516, 1111 Constitution Avenue, 

NW., Washington, DC 20224, or through 

the Internet, at 

Allan.M.Hopkins@irs.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: Preparer Due Diligence 

Requirements for Determining Earned 

Income Credit Eligibility. 

OMB Number: 1545–1570. 

Regulation Project Number: REG–

120168–97. 

Abstract: Income tax return preparers 

who satisfy the due diligence 

requirements in this regulation will 

avoid the imposition of the penalty 

section 6695(g) of the Internal Revenue 

Code for returns or claims for refund 

due after December 31, 1997. The due 

diligence requirements include 

soliciting the information necessary to 

determine a taxpayer’s eligibility for, 

and amount of, the Earned Income Tax 

Credit and the retention of this 

information. 

Current Actions: There are no changes 

being made to this existing regulation. 

Type of Review: Extension of a 

currently approved collection. 

Affected Public: Business or other forprofit. 

Estimated Number of Respondents:

100,000. 

Estimated Time Per Respondent: 5 

hours, 4 minutes. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden 

Hours: 507,136. 

An agency may not conduct or 

sponsor, and a person is not required to 

respond to, a collection of information 

unless the collection of information 

displays a valid OMB control number. 

Books or records relating to a collection 

of information must be retained as long 

as their contents may become material 

in the administration of any internal 

revenue law. Generally, tax returns and 

tax return information are confidential, 

as required by 26 U.S.C. 6103. 

Request for Comments: Comments 

submitted in response to this notice will 

be summarized and/or included in the 

request for OMB approval. All 

comments will become a matter of 

public record. Comments are invited on: 

(a) Whether the collection of 

information is necessary for the proper 

performance of the functions of the 

agency, including whether the 

information shall have practical utility; 

(b) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate 

of the burden of the collection of 

information; (c) ways to enhance the 

quality, utility, and clarity of the 

information to be collected; (d) ways to 

minimize the burden of the collection of 

information on respondents, including 

through the use of automated collection 

techniques or other forms of information 

technology; and (e) estimates of capital 

or start-up costs and costs of operation, 

maintenance, and purchase of services 

to provide information.

Approved: January 21, 2005. 

Paul Finger, 

IRS Reports Clearance Officer.

[FR Doc. 05–1740 Filed 1–28–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4830–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Internal Revenue Service 

Open Meeting of the Earned Income 

Tax Credit Committee of the Taxpayer 

Advocacy Panel

AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), 

Treasury.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: An open meeting of the 

Earned Income Tax Credit Committee of 

the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel will be 

conducted (via teleconference). The 

Committee will be discussing issues 

pertaining to the IRS administration of 

the Earned Income Tax Credit.

DATES: The meeting will be held 

Thursday, February 17, 2005.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Audrey Y. Jenkins at 1–888–912–1227 

(toll-free), or 718–488–2085 (non tollfree).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice is 

hereby given pursuant to Section 

10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory 

Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App. (1988) 

that an open meeting of the Earned 

Income Tax Credit Committee of the 

Taxpayer Advocacy Panel will be held 

Thursday, February 17, 2005 from 2 

p.m. to 3:30 p.m. ET via a telephone 

conference call. The public is invited to 

make oral comments. Individual 

comments will be limited to 5 minutes. 

Due to limited conference lines, 

notification of intent to participate in 

the telephone conference call meeting 

must be made in advance by contacting 

Audrey Y. Jenkins. To confirm 

attendance or for more information, Ms. 

Jenkins may be reached at 1–888–912–

1227 or (718) 488–2085. If you would 

like a written statement to be 

considered, send written comments to 

Audrey Y. Jenkins, TAP Office, 10 

MetroTech Center, 625 Fulton Street, 

Brooklyn, NY 11201 or post your 

comments to the Web site: 

www.improveirs.org. The agenda will 

include various IRS issues.

4918 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 19 / Monday, January 31, 2005 / Notices 

Dated: January 25, 2005. 

Bernard Coston, 

Director, Taxpayer Advocacy Panel.

[FR Doc. 05–1736 Filed 1–28–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4830–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Office of Thrift Supervision 

Submission for OMB Review; 

Comment Request—Lending and 

Investment

AGENCY: Office of Thrift Supervision 

(OTS), Treasury.

ACTION: Notice and request for comment.

SUMMARY: The proposed information 

collection requirement described below 

has been submitted to the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) for 

review, as required by the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995. OTS is soliciting 

public comments on the proposal.

DATES: Submit written comments on or 

before March 2, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Send comments, referring to 

the collection by title of the proposal or 

by OMB approval number, to OMB and 

OTS at these addresses: Mark D. 

Menchik, Office of Information and 

Regulatory Affairs, Office of 

Management and Budget, Room 10236, 

New Executive Office Building, 

Washington, DC 20503, or e-mail to 

mmenchik@omb.eop.gov; and 

Information Collection Comments, Chief 

Counsel’s Office, Office of Thrift 

Supervision, 1700 G Street, NW., 

Washington, DC 20552, by fax to (202) 

906–6518, or by e-mail to 

infocollection.comments@ots.treas.gov.

OTS will post comments and the related 

index on the OTS Internet Site at

http://www.ots.treas.gov. In addition, 

interested persons may inspect 

comments at the Public Reading Room, 

1700 G Street, NW., by appointment. To 

make an appointment, call (202) 906–

5922, send an e-mail to 

publicinfo@ots.treas.gov, or send a 

facsimile transmission to (202) 906–

7755.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To 

obtain a copy of the submission to OMB, 

contact Marilyn K. Burton at 

marilyn.burton@ots.treas.gov, (202) 

906–6467, or facsimile number (202) 

906–6518, Regulations and Legislation 

Division, Chief Counsel’s Office, Office 

of Thrift Supervision, 1700 G Street, 

NW., Washington, DC 20552.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: OTS may 

not conduct or sponsor an information 

collection, and respondents are not 

required to respond to an information 

collection, unless the information 

collection displays a currently valid 

OMB control number. As part of the 

approval process, we invite comments 

on the following information collection. 

Title of Proposal: Lending and 

Investment. 

OMB Number: 1550–0078. 

Form Number: N/A. 

Regulation requirement: 12 CFR Parts 

560 and 564; §§ 562.1, 563.41, 563.170, 

and 590.4. 

Description: This information 

collection requires savings associations 

to maintain adequate documentation to 

support their lending and investment 

activities. OTS staff may request the 

information during examinations. 

Type of Review: Reinstatement. 

Affected Public: Savings Associations. 

Estimated Number of Respondents:

902. 

Estimated Frequency of Response:

Event-generated. 

Estimated Total Burden: 321,487 

hours. 

Clearance Officer: Marilyn K. Burton, 

(202) 906–6467, Office of Thrift 

Supervision, 1700 G Street, NW., 

Washington, DC 20552. 

OMB Reviewer: Mark D. Menchik, 

(202) 395–3176, Office of Management 

and Budget, Room 10236, New 

Executive Office Building, Washington, 

DC 20503.

Dated: January 24, 2005.

By the Office of Thrift Supervision. 

James E. Gilleran, 

Director.

[FR Doc. 05–1668 Filed 1–28–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6720–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 

AFFAIRS 

[OMB Control No. 2900–0052] 

Proposed Information Collection 

Activity: Proposed Collection; 

Comment Request

AGENCY: Veterans Benefits 

Administration, Department of Veterans 

Affairs.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The Veterans Benefits 

Administration (VBA), Department of 

Veterans Affairs (VA), is announcing an 

opportunity for public comment on the 

proposed collection of certain 

information by the agency. Under the 

Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 

1995, Federal agencies are required to 

publish notice in the Federal Register

concerning each proposed collection of 

information, including each proposed 

extension of a currently approved 

collection and allow 60 days for public 

comment in response to the notice. This 

notice solicits comments for information 

needed from claimants prior to 

undergoing a VA medical examination 

for disability benefits.

DATES: Written comments and 

recommendations on the proposed 

collection of information should be 

received on or before April 1, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments 

on the collection of information to 

Nancy J. Kessinger, Veterans Benefits 

Administration (20M35), Department of 

Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, 

NW., Washington, DC 20420 or e-mail: 

irmnkess@vba.va.gov. Please refer to 

‘‘OMB Control No. 2900–0052’’ in any 

correspondence.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Nancy J. Kessinger at (202) 273–7079 or 

FAX (202) 275–5947.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the 

PRA of 1995 (Public Law 104–13; 44 

U.S.C., 3501–3520), Federal agencies 

must obtain approval from the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) for each 

collection of information they conduct 

or sponsor. This request for comment is 

being made pursuant to Section 

3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA. 

With respect to the following 

collection of information, VBA invites 

comments on: (1) Whether the proposed 

collection of information is necessary 

for the proper performance of VBA’s 

functions, including whether the 

information will have practical utility; 

(2) the accuracy of VBA’s estimate of the 

burden of the proposed collection of 

information; (3) ways to enhance the 

quality, utility, and clarity of the 

information to be collected; and (4) 

ways to minimize the burden of the 

collection of information on 

respondents, including through the use 

of automated collection techniques or 

the use of other forms of information 

technology. 

Title: Report of Medical Examination 

for Disability Evaluation, VA Form 21–

2545. 

OMB Control Number: 2900–0052. 

Type of Review: Extension of a 

currently approved collection. 

Abstract: VA Form 21–2545 is 

completed by claimants prior to 

undergoing a VA examination for 

disability benefits and by the examining 

physician to record the findings of such 

examination. A VA examination is 

required where the reasonable 

probability of a valid claim is indicated 

in claims for disability compensation or 

pension, including claims for benefits 

based on the need of a veteran, 

surviving spouse, or parent for regular 

aid and attendance, and for benefits