IR-2009-117, Dec. 11, 2009
WASHINGTON — The Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service today announced the selection of 30 new members to serve on the nationwide Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (TAP), a federal advisory committee charged with providing direct taxpayer feedback to the IRS.
The new TAP members will join 71 returning members to round out the panel of 101 volunteers for 2010. The new members were selected from more than 900 interested individuals from all over the country who applied during an open recruitment period last spring.
“TAP members represent the nation’s taxpayers and provide the IRS with insights that are crucial to sound tax administration,” said IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman.
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 to resolve taxpayer problems and makes recommendations to avoid future problems.
“Now more than ever, the IRS must consider the needs and preferences of America’s taxpayers,” said Nina E. Olson, the National Taxpayer Advocate. “The vital work of these citizen volunteers will ultimately help the IRS to provide all taxpayers with the top quality service they deserve."
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 along with recommendations for improvement.
TAP members are U.S. citizens who volunteer to serve three-year appointments and are expected to devote 300 to 500 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 1-888-912-1227 (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 1314
1111 Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C.  20224
Individuals interested in volunteering to serve on the TAP for 2011 may submit an application via the website www.improveirs.org during the next open recruitment period, which will begin in March 2010.
A list of the new TAP members by city and state is included below:
Herbert Hayes, Madison, AL
Amoretta Tatum, Arkadelphia, AR
Gary Iskowitz, Los Angeles, CA
Ming Ni Lau, Santa Clara, CA
Frank Alvarado, East Haven, CT
Miya Burt-Stewart, Hollywood, FL
Elizabeth Mossad, Valrico, FL
Eboni Moss, Doraville, GA
Karie Davis-Nozemack, Atlanta, GA
Sandra Akbar, Chicago, IL
Timothy Oetken, Louisville, KY
Patricia Davis, Mitchellville, MD
Bradford Lee, Mahtomedi, MN
Swarna Vallurupalli, Chesterfield, MO
Theresa Mathews, Denton, NC
Richard Holland, Bismarck, ND
Audrey Child-Tomie, Brick, NJ
Mary Jean Potenzone, Glen Ridge, NJ
Charnia Parrish, Albuquerque, NM
Jeffrey Steinberg, Blauvelt, NY
Mark Bernstein, Roslyn Heights, NY
Matthew Kosanovich, Columbus, OH
Lea Kear, Pendleton, OR
Ann Case, Cogan Station, PA
Marilyn Young, Nashville, TN
Dianne Turner, Knoxville, TN
Jackie Rollins, Austin, TX
Carolyn Kalchthaler, Plano, TX
Jacqueline Granger, West Bend, WI
David Cain, Marlinton, WV
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