GOP senators push taxpayer rights bill

Two senior Senate Republicans introduced legislation Tuesday that would give taxpayers a slew of new protections, and codify some already in place. 

Sens. Chuck Grassley (Iowa) and John Thune (S.D.) said their more robust taxpayer bill of rights was especially necessary given all the controversy that has swirled around the IRS in recent years. 

{mosads}”Unfortunately, the IRS here of late has forgotten that the ‘S’ in IRS stands for service,” Thune said at a news conference announcing the bill.

Both Grassley and Thune are members of the Senate Finance Committee, which oversees the IRS. Grassley is a former chairman of the committee.

The IRS rolled out a taxpayer bill of rights on its own a year ago, which included the right to only pay what you owe and to better challenge an agency decision.

But both Thune and Grassley said that Congress needed to put those protections – and even more – into law and not rely solely on executive action. Lawmakers last approved a taxpayer bill of rights more than 15 years ago.

“Administrations come, administrations go,” Thune said.

The measure from Thune and Grassley bars IRS officials from using personal email to conduct agency business, increases the penalties for the unauthorized disclosure of taxpayer information and requires better records collection from the agency.

The two senators said they hoped the measure would get bipartisan support, but acknowledged the two parties remain divided over the IRS. House Republicans recently proposed slashing another $838 million from the agency’s budget, which IRS officials already say is woefully inadequate.

Still, Grassley said Tuesday that he hoped his legislation would start a conversation on the need for broader reforms at the IRS.

The agency has been under fire for more than two years, ever since former official Lois Lerner acknowledged the IRS improperly scrutinized Tea Party groups.

The IRS’s watchdog is expected to give the Finance Committee a report on a string of missing Lerner emails by the end of the month, and committee leaders hope to release a report on the Tea Party controversy. 

Both parties, Grassley said, should be interested to talk about expanding taxpayer rights when discussing that report.

“That culture must change,” Grassley said.