Sioux City Times

Two bills led by U.S. Representative Randy Feenstra have successfully passed through the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee, aiming to reform procedures within the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Representative Feenstra expressed his satisfaction with the committee's decision: “I’m glad that two of my bills to insulate the IRS from partisan politics and make the IRS more accountable to taxpayers passed the Ways and Means Committee.” He explained that one bill focuses on ensuring clarity regarding errors on tax forms, enabling taxpayers to understand and challenge mistakes. The second bill aims to improve customer service at the IRS by allowing the National Taxpayer Advocate to hire independent attorneys.

Chairman of the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee, Representative Jason Smith, commended Feenstra’s efforts: “Representative Feenstra has been a tireless advocate for taxpayers’ rights on the Ways and Means Committee. His legislation will create a more level playing field for taxpayers by forcing the IRS to notify individuals of any adjustments to their tax return and give them sixty days to challenge that adjustment."

The National Taxpayer Advocate Enhancement Act is designed to empower the National Taxpayer Advocate by allowing her to employ attorneys who directly support her mission in serving taxpayers. Meanwhile, the Internal Revenue Service Math and Taxpayer Help (IRS MATH) Act mandates that the IRS must communicate clearly about tax-filing errors, specifying changes made and reasons for discrepancies in expected refunds.