Tax News Roundup

Every Saturday, we'll take a look at the top tax stories in the news.

IRS Invites Taxpayers to Apply for Taxpayer Panel
The IRS and the National Taxpayer Advocate are looking for citizen volunteers to serve on the Taxpayer Panel. Taxpayers from all walks of life can apply to be part of the panel. Participants work closely with the public and the IRS to address customer service issues and helps taxpayers to get answers to their tax problems.

Don't Fall for this Email Scam
There's a scam being sent by email. Don't fall for it. The scam goes like this: you get an email claiming to be from the IRS and asking you to visit a website to claim your tax refund. Tax Professor Paul Caron finally found a copy of the email, and posted it on his website to warn others. If you get an email like this: Delete it immediately. If you are concerned about the status of your refund or have questions about your taxes, call the IRS directly at 1-800-829-1040.

Is Your IRS Information Up For Sale?
The IRS may alter its privacy protections to allow tax professionals to sell their client's tax return information. This has attracted the attention of consumer protection groups who oppose these changes. On the other side of the issue, the proposed changes would require tax professionals to present their clients with an imposing looking disclosure form printed large easily read letters specifying what information will be shared or sold. Tax professionals would have to get their clients signature for each piece of information they plan to sell. As I have said before, I cannot imagine clients signing away their privacy rights after reading such a disclosure. For myself, I have never shared with my client's information with anyone, and I urge all tax professionals to adopt the strongest private policy possible to protect their clients.