Tax Payer’s Bill of Rights

One could go through life in a breeze paying their taxes assuming the numbers were entered correctly. However, one number could be off and one payment missed by ones’ employer. Then there it is, a letter from the IRS telling the taxpayer in big bold letters “AUDIT”. What does one do? Where would one go for advice? Does the taxpayer have rights? And the first thing that goes through ones mind,”money and jail”. Well there is help, because in the past the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) had an advantage over taxpayers when it came to auditing taxes. That is until Congress created a bill to assist the taxpayer with their audit issues.

According to wwwebtax to minimize this advantage, Congress passed a bill, created in 1989 to assist taxpayers. These rights have been significantly increased with the passing of the Taxpayer Bill of Rights. “The Taxpayer Bill of Rights specifies the rights in dealing with the IRS. Therefore to increase better and more efficient rights, the Taxpayer Bill of Rights II, passed in 1996, and the Taxpayer Bill of Rights III, enacted in 1998, which further expanded the taxpayer’s rights. One of the most important meanings behind the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights is for the IRS to inform the taxpayer the effect of the tax action that is in process and how to proceed and protect one’s rights.” (http://www.wwwebtax.com/audits/taxpayer_bill_of_rights.htm)

Additionally, “the IRS must provide the necessary tax information and tax help that one would need to comply with the tax laws ensure personal and financial confidentiality; and treat the taxpayer in a courteous manner. In addition, they must provide a clear explanations in any IRS tax notice or mail inquiries, and provide additional information if requested for the taxpayer to understand completely. Therefore If the IRS sends a tax notice of a tax deficiency or tax collection action, they must include a non-technical statement of taxpayer’s rights during an IRS tax audit and an explanation of IRS collection and tax appeals procedures within the IRS and the courts.” (http://www.wwwebtax.com/audits/taxpayer_bill_of_rights.htm)

Again,