The Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) is pleased to announce that the UCLA Extension Tax Controversy Institute has selected National Taxpayer Advocate Erin M. Collins to receive the Bruce I. Hochman Award. The award recognizes Collins’ outstanding proficiency in the field of tax law and her contributions as a dynamic leader.  

“I am honored to have my work recognized by the Tax Controversy Institute and it is an extra special honor as the award is named for Bruce Hochman,” said Collins. “Bruce is a legend in the tax community, and I was lucky to have learned from him as a baby lawyer.  Those lessons learned benefited me throughout my entire professional career. As National Taxpayer Advocate, I am humbled to have the opportunity to work towards improving our tax system for everyone involved. I have seen firsthand the challenges and problems that make it difficult for taxpayers and businesses to fulfill their tax obligations – the inability of receiving timely guidance, delays in access, and for some the inability to get the refunds they are entitled to without having to jump through hoops. My team at TAS and I will continue to advocate for all taxpayers and make sure that their voices are heard.” 

Collins has more than three decades of experience in tax law, spanning 15 years in the IRS Office of Chief Counsel, 20 years at the accounting firm of KPMG LLP, and over four years as the National Taxpayer Advocate. At KPMG, she represented thousands of individuals, partnerships, small companies, and corporate taxpayers on technical and procedural tax matters. Throughout her career, Collins represented clients in federal examinations, in IRS appeals, and before the U.S. Tax Court on domestic and international tax issues. Together with her husband, Edward Robbins, she co-authored 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 their IRS issues.  She was also a volunteer and board member of a non-profit organization to help girls in under-resourced communities fulfill their potential by empowering them to become confident, college-bound, career-focused, and ready to join the next generation of professional women. 

The award will be presented at the 40th anniversary of the UCLA Extension Tax Controversy Conference on October 24. TAS will also be available on-site at the conference to assist taxpayers and their representatives with unresolved IRS tax issues. To schedule an in-person appointment with TAS at the UCLA event, please contact the Los Angeles office and mention “UCLA Extension Tax Controversy Institute Problem Solving Day,” along with your name and phone number, or reach out to Local Taxpayer Advocate Luis Tejada by leaving a message at 213-372-4388.  

You can also learn more about this event or find a TAS Problem Solving Day event near you by visiting our Problem Solving Day events page. 

For more information about the Bruce I. Hochman Award, visit the Tax Controversy Conference website. 

You can read or listen to Collins’ insights about important tax topics in her NTA Blog. Subscribe to the NTA Blog to stay informed about the latest tax news.