IRS CEO meets with NY tax pros

IRS CEO Frank Bisignano met with tax professionals from the New York area during the IRS's Nationwide Tax Forum in New York City.

The attendees at last week's forum included members of the New York State Society of CPAs as well as Enrolled Agents and other tax practitioners.

Bisignano and tax professionals discussed the implementation of the Trump Accounts, guidance related to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (also known as the Working Families Tax Cuts), lessons learned from this past tax season, and the expectations for next year's filing season. 

"The input and feedback that the IRS receives from tax practitioners improves the tax collection and administration process," said Bisignano in a statement. "Tax professionals play a critical role in our tax system by providing an important link between the Service and the taxpaying public, helping them to understand and meet their tax obligations." 

Bisignano and other IRS leaders plan to continue to meet with taxpayers and tax professionals to get their feedback on ways to improve tax administration. On Monday, the AICPA sent a letter to IRS officials with recommendations on speeding up name and address changes for taxpayers.

"Meeting with the CEO demonstrates the strong relationship between the IRS and the stakeholder community," said Orumé Hays, president elect of the New York Society of CPAs, in a statement Tuesday. "Through my years of participation on the NYCPA's Relations with the IRS Committee, I have witnessed firsthand the benefits of this collaboration. It has helped foster open communication, strengthen mutual understanding, and support our shared commitment to effective tax administration and quality service to taxpayers."

Another featured speaker at the forum was National Taxpayer Advocate Erin Collins.

For more information about other upcoming IRS Nationwide Tax Forums, visit www.irstaxforum.com. 

The IRS praised this past filing season during the forums, noting that it processed over 144 million income tax returns, with 98% of refunds delivered electronically. But Bisignano and other top IRS officials have also faced controversy over staffing and budget cuts at the IRS that have reduced service at the agency this past tax season and cost about 28% of employees their jobs. Earlier this year, the IRS terminated its agreement with the National Treasury Employees Union, which represents most IRS and Treasury Department employees, in response to an executive order issued last year by President Trump.  Last week, the top Democrat on the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee, ranking member Richard Neal, D-Massachusetts, wrote a letter to Bisignano questioning the treatment of IRS employees after the contract was terminated, including canceled telework, forced relocations, delayed Family and Medical Leave Act requests, changes to performance evaluations, and unfair overtime allocations. 

On Monday, the union announced a lawsuit against the IRS over the agency's employee leave policy. "The administration's creation of a new agency head position to avoid going through a Senate confirmation process is unconstitutional," the NTEU said in a statement. "Frank Bisignano's actions as the so-called IRS CEO must be reversed. That includes his arbitrary cancellation of the IRS's advanced annual and sick leave programs, which federal civil servants rely on when facing personal or family emergencies. NTEU will continue fighting to protect its IRS members."