On June 10, IRS declared the “Taxpayer Bill of Rights” intending to provide United States’ taxpayers with a better understanding of their rights. There are multiple existing rights under the Taxpayer Bill of Rights which are scattered throughout the tax code and difficult to understand for people. IRS groups them into ten categories including to be informed, to quality service, to pay no more than the correct amount of tax, to challenge the IRS’s position and be heard, to appeal an IRS decision in an independent forum, to finality, to privacy, to confidentiality, to retain representation, and to a fair and just tax system.
These grouping make more visible and easier for taxpayers to find on the IRS website. “The Taxpayer Bill of Rights contains fundamental information to help taxpayers,” said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. “He recalled that these are core concepts about which taxpayers should be aware. Respecting taxpayer rights continues to be a top priority for IRS employees, and the new Taxpayer Bill of Rights summarizes these important protections in a clearer, more understandable format than ever before.”
