National Taxpayer Advocate

Erin M. Collins

Erin M. Collins joined the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) in March 2020 as the National Taxpayer Advocate.  She is the “Voice of the Taxpayer” within the IRS and before Congress.  TAS serves as a “safety net” for taxpayers by advocating for resolution of individual and business taxpayer issues within the IRS.  She identifies and works toward systemic changes for all taxpayers while protecting Taxpayer Rights.  TAS also oversees the Low Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC) federal grant program and the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (TAP).  As part of her Annual Report to Congress, she makes administrative and legislative changes to protect taxpayer rights and works toward improving the quality of taxpayer service and tax administration by being an independent voice inside the IRS.  Erin has been called to testify before the Senate Finance Committee, the U.S. House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee Oversight Subcommittee, and the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on a variety of subjects.

In 2022, Erin was selected as one of the top 25 Most Powerful Women in the Accounting Profession by the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) and CPA Practice Advisor magazine; as one of the 100 Most Influential People in Accounting by Accounting Today; a Changemaker: 50 Innovators Shaping Americans’ Finances by Money.com.  In 2023, she was the recipient of KPMG’s Fifth Annual Network of Women Alumni Legacy Award, the California Lawyers Association’s Joanne M. Garvey Lifetime Achievement Award and selected as one of the 100 Most Influential People in Accounting by Accounting Today.  Erin has appeared on C-SPAN and other national media outlets and is frequently cited in tax and news publications.

Erin has over 35 years of experience in tax law, spanning 15 years in the IRS Office of Chief Counsel and 20 years at the accounting firm of KPMG LLP, from where she retired in 2019 as the Tax Managing Director in charge of its tax controversy practice for the Western region.  At KPMG, Erin represented thousands of individuals, partnerships, small companies, and corporate taxpayers on technical and procedural tax matters. Throughout her career, Erin represented clients in federal examinations, IRS appeals, and before the U.S. Tax Court on domestic and international tax issues.

Erin was the co-author of the Practising Law Institute’s IRS Practice and Procedure Deskbook and has spoken frequently on IRS practice, procedure, controversy, and litigation matters before many professional organizations.

Before joining TAS, she represented several clients pro bono to help them resolve issues with the IRS.  She was also a volunteer and board member of a non-profit organization, Step Up, whose mission was to help girls in under-resourced communities to fulfill their potential by empowering them to become confident, college-bound, career-focused, and ready to join the next generation of professional women.

Erin is married to Ed Robbins, Jr., and they have two children and three grandchildren.