IRS Adopts Taxpayer Bill of Rights

The Internal Revenue Service has created a “Taxpayer Bill of Rights” that will become their guiding focus when it comes to assisting taxpayers gain a better understanding of their rights. The Taxpayer Bill of Rights pulls existing rights already embedded in tax code and groups them into 10 broad categories, making them easier to understand. This Bill of Rights was released following extensive discussions with the Taxpayer Advocate Service, an independent office inside the IRS that represents the interests of U.S. taxpayers. The IRS website now has a special section to highlight the 10 rights, and will add posters and signs in upcoming months to its public offices so that visiting taxpayers may easily see and read the information. The Taxpayer Bill of Rights are listed below:

1.      The Right to Be Informed

2.      The Right to Quality Service

3.      The Right to Pay No More than the Correct Amount of Tax

4.      The Right to Challenge the IRS’s Position and Be Heard

5.      The Right to Appeal an IRS Decision in an Independent Forum

6.      The Right to Finality

7.      The Right to Privacy

8.      The Right to Confidentiality

9.      The Right to Retain Representation

10.  The Right to a Fair and Just Tax System