And, to all of you who regularly visit my blog, I thank you for spending your time with us and wish you a happy and peaceful holiday season.
Erin M. Collins, National Taxpayer Advocate
Like many of you, I am looking forward to spending time this holiday season surrounded by family and loved ones. Our to-do lists are long and there is important work to get done, but I hope that all of you get a chance to be present, put away your cell phones, and give thanks for the things that bring you happiness and fulfillment. Maybe it is having a job that you love (like serving as the National Taxpayer Advocate), a new grandbaby or pet, spending time with friends or family, or maybe it’s that you got your tax refund on time!
At the Taxpayer Advocate Service, we spent 2024 focusing on a rededication to service. As I recently mentioned in my blog, I believe one of our jobs as advocates is to see things from the taxpayer’s perspective and look at issues holistically. When we do this, we can better understand what it is like to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes. We understand the challenges and roadblocks they may face, and that understanding helps us to be better servants and advocates.
These are the things I will think about this December 3 during Giving Tuesday. Over the past few years Giving Tuesday has emerged as a day to come together in generosity and the spirit of giving. The idea is simple – support your local organizations, do an act of kindness, donate to your favorite cause, share a smile with a stranger.
To get us into the spirit of holiday giving I thought I would share a little bit about my friend Sidney “Sid” Machtinger.
Sid is fascinating and inspiring in so many ways – he is 102 years old and immigrated to the U.S. when his family fled Poland when he was only six years old. He is a World War II veteran who flew in 43 combat missions in the Pacific as a B-24 Liberator navigator (he enlisted after the bombing of Pearl Harbor). He went to law school on the GI Bill, has five children, a growing crew of grandchildren, worked in Chief Counsel at the IRS, was a partner in a law firm for over 40 years, and is a true legend in the tax community.
A common thread throughout these accomplishments is a deep and driving devotion to serve his country, his community, and to make things better for people who, as he says, didn’t have it as good as him.
In a discussion he had a few years ago with a UCLA doctor on longevity and successful aging, Sid humbly summed it up like this, “I try to do the best I can for myself and other people now, tomorrow, and the next day, and that means getting involved with how you can help others.”
This really gets to the heart of Giving Tuesday. Do the best you can today, tomorrow, and the next day to help improve the lives of those in your community.
Some of the organizations and causes that Sid has dedicated himself to include: The Center for the Partially Sighted, where he was honored with a lifetime Vision award; the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Southern California; and the UCLA School of Medicine board of visitors (among many others).
But that wasn’t enough. Sid kept going and wanted to continue helping veterans so he started the VETS COUNT Scholarship Fund offered through the UCLA Extension. The scholarship was launched at the 2017 Tax Controversy Institute and helps provide financial assistance for active military personnel, veterans, and their families who want to pursue a career in tax, accounting, wealth management, and other financial management services. For Sid, he is grateful for the benefits he received thanks to the GI Bill and recognizes the difference a scholarship can make for those in the armed forces who give so much to our country.
This Giving Tuesday, I encourage you to follow Sid’s lead and do what you can to offer a helping hand to someone who needs a little extra support. Any act of generosity counts: a simple thank you, simple recognition of others, donation of nonperishable food, dropping off some books to your Little Free Library, anonymously leave a bag of groceries at the doorstep of someone you know who might be struggling financially, or consider donating to a non-profit aligned with your values. On giving Tuesday many organizations match contributions, doubling your gift.
Plus, there are potential tax benefits to charitable giving. For helpful information about which contributions are tax deductible read our Charitable Giving Get Help page. It has a lot of helpful tips.
I am grateful for my TAS family who do their very best each day to protect taxpayer rights and help improve our tax system for all. I also extend my gratitude to all of the tax professionals, the larger tax industry, and to the superheroes who make up our Low Income Taxpayer Clinics, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance/Tax Counseling for the Elderly programs, and Taxpayer Advocacy Panel. Your dedication to our taxpayers cannot be overstated. Thank you!
The views expressed in this blog are solely those of the National Taxpayer Advocate. The National Taxpayer Advocate presents an independent taxpayer perspective that does not necessarily reflect the position of the IRS, the Treasury Department, or the Office of Management and Budget.
Did you know there is a Taxpayer Bill of Rights?
The taxpayer Bill of Rights is grouped into 10 easy to understand categories outlining the taxpayer rights and protections embedded in the tax code.
It is also what guides the advocacy work we do for taxpayers.