2017 Tax Forums will feature TAS seminars and the Case Resolution Program

Each year the IRS sponsors the Nationwide Tax Forums, a three-day series of tax education and networking conferences for tax professionals in cities around the country.

These events feature the latest information from the IRS, news about tax law changes, the chance to meet with software vendors and the opportunity to attend nearly 50 seminars presented by IRS employees and members of professional associations.

At this year’s Forums, TAS will present a series of seminars, oversee the Case Resolution Program and host two focus groups. This year, the TAS seminar sessions will focus on:

• Advocating for Clients whose Accounts were Assigned by the IRS to a Private Collection Agency (PCA)
  This presentation will discuss the statutory basis and the IRS’s implementation of the private debt collection initiative in 2017.  It will cover the program and how to protect and advocate for your clients. The National Taxpayer Advocate’s 2016 Report to Congress addresses this most serious problem facing taxpayers.
• Advocating for Your Client in Cases Involving Trade and Business Expenses – Hobby Losses
  This presentation will provide a general overview of trade and business expenses with a specific focus on hobby losses. TAS will use recently decided court cases involving hobby losses and other trade and business expenses to explore strategies for advocating on behalf of taxpayers to the IRS, and look at best practices when substantiating these expenses.
• Advocating for Your Client in Issues Flowing from the Foreign Account Tax Compliance ACT (FATCA)
  This presentation will provide a brief overview of the legal and administrative background regarding FATCA, including withholding of fixed, determinable, annual, and periodic (FDAP) payments to nonresidents. The process of obtaining applicable refunds and how to advocate for taxpayers experiencing delays or other difficulties in these efforts will be covered. The National Taxpayer Advocate’s 2016 Annual Report to Congress addresses this problem facing taxpayers.

Case Resolution Program

This year, you can once again bring your toughest unresolved IRS case (one case per tax business) to the Case Resolution Program. IRS representatives with specialized expertise will be available by appointment only to meet one-on-one with you. If we can’t resolve the case onsite or it needs more research, we’ll assign it to the appropriate TAS office for follow-up.

You must present a signed original or copy of your Power of Attorney (POA), IRS Form 2848, authorizing disclosure of confidential tax information when scheduling an appointment. Only the practitioners listed on the POA can enter the Case Resolution Room. For an appointment, please visit the Case Resolution table on Monday before the forum begins, from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m. local time, or go directly to the Case Resolution Room during the three-day event. You will need your Form 2848 and a completed Nationwide Tax Forum Case Data Sheet to schedule the appointment.

The Case Resolution Program can help you resolve one client’s toughest tax case. The program is for client cases only. We can’t help you with any personal tax case or any case in which you have a vested interest. If you have an issue with a case of this nature, please contact the IRS or contact the Taxpayer Advocate Service directly.

Hope to see you at the 2017 IRS Nationwide Tax Forum.

The 2017 Tax Forum schedule is tentatively as follows: