Grassley Announces Taxpayers' Field Hearing in Des Moines

Grassley Announces Taxpayers' Field Hearing in Des Moines

National Commission on Restructuring the IRS Seeks Iowans' Input

Melissa Kearney

202/224-0484

? Seeking to gather information from the grassroots, Sen. Chuck Grassley today invited Iowa taxpayers to attend a field hearing he is conducting with Sen. Bob Kerrey, of Nebraska, and Rep. Rob Portman, of Ohio, co-chairmen of the National Commission on Restructuring the IRS. Grassley said the hearing is scheduled for Monday, May 12, from 10 a.m. to noon, in the Mini Lecture Hall, room 126, at the Des Moines Area Community College, 1100 7th St., in Des Moines.

"Fulfilling the Commission's charter includes identifying the problems average taxpayers face with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and coming up with meaningful solutions," said Grassley. "We want to hear from Iowans about their experiences with the IRS."

According to Grassley, the IRS' poor track record needs to be fixed before it can begin to rehabilitate its public image and improve taxpayer service. In addition to its failed computer modernization project that wasted about $4 billion tax dollars, the IRS has faced additional scrutiny for not cracking down on employees who unnecessarily searched taxpayer files, including celebrity tax records.

Appointed to the bipartisan 17-member Commission last year, Grassley has led efforts in the Senate to keep the IRS accountable as a member of the Senate Finance subcommittee on taxation and IRS oversight. Authorized for one-year, the Commission this summer plans to report the results of its review to Congress, along with recommendations for restructuring the federal tax collecting agency.

In the last year, the Commission has reviewed the agency's infrastructure and modernization efforts; the processing of forms, returns and collections; management of taxpayer accounts; services for taxpayers; and the culture of disregard for taxpayer rights. Grassley has continued his focus on taxpayer relations and is seeking to make the IRS more "user-friendly."

"I encourage Iowans to take this opportunity to make representative government work," he said. "We're coming to Des Moines to gain insight from the grassroots."

For those who are interested in attending or providing testimony, contact Clarke Scanlon in Grassley's Des Moines office, at 515/284-4890, by Friday, May 9.