In addition, recent oversight hearings before the Senate Finance Committee uncovered a disturbing pattern of taxpayer abuse. The agency uses the taxpayers' lack of knowledge about their rights to its advantage. Our hearings show that more steps need to be taken. For example, the IRS illegally continues to use goals and statistics to measure employee performance. That sends the wrong message to IRS agents and lends a chilling effect to friendly taxpayer relations.
Taxpayers deserve fair, courteous treatment.
Building on my efforts to protect taxpayers, I recently introduced the Taxpayers Bill of Rights III to increase taxpayer rights and expand taxpayer education. All communications must be written in clear, simple language. It would be another step in the right direction. Restructuring the IRS into a consumer-friendly organization should help make tax season more bearable. More importantly, it will help restore public confidence in the nation's tax collecting agency.