

IR-2003-34, March 13, 2003
WASHINGTON — The National Taxpayer Advocate announced today the development of a new Internet-based program for submitting, to her office of Systemic Advocacy, systemic problems and suggestions to improve tax administration. The program provides another way for taxpayers to make suggestions or bring issues to the attention of IRS management.
“This new Systemic Advocacy program provides the Taxpayer Advocate Service with an innovative approach to evaluate, analyze and pursue ideas from multiple internal and external sources,” said National Taxpayer Advocate Nina E. Olson. “Our distinctive role in the area of advocacy for taxpayers affords us the opportunity to resolve issues from a global viewpoint and use new methods to find solutions to repetitive, systemic problems.”
Created in May 2002, the Taxpayer Advocate Service Office of Systemic Advocacy has been providing oversight and direction for identifying, analyzing systemic, procedural and operational problems. This includes determining approaches to make improvements by eliminating these problems with IRS. Additionally, the office assists in the preparation of the National Taxpayer Advocate’s Annual Report to Congress. This report outlines the 20 most serious problems taxpayers encounter, the 10 most litigated issues and recommends potential legislative remedies. This office assesses methods that will help create solutions to repetitive long-standing issues within the IRS.
Suggestions and issues can be communicated to the Taxpayer Advocate Service Office of Systemic Advocacy by e-mail (systemic.advocacy@irs.gov), or by fax at (202) 622-3125.
As in the current system, with the new Web-based procedure, no taxpayer information is to be included in issues submitted. Issues should focus on systemic problems, not individual taxpayer cases.
The new Web-based system will enable the IRS to do a better job tracking systemic issues and monitoring all issues to more quickly find solutions.
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