Systemic Advocacy Objectives describe objectives for which TAS will advocate to improve tax administration on behalf of taxpayers and to address systemic issues causing taxpayer burden, harm, or a negative impact on taxpayer rights. Similar to the way TAS identifies Most Serious Problems in the Annual Report to Congress, the National Taxpayer Advocate calls upon a multitude of sources to assist in identifying key Systemic Advocacy Objectives, including the experience of TAS staff, trends in advocacy efforts and TAS casework, and interactions with practitioners and external stakeholders.

TAS’s Systemic Advocacy Objectives for FY 2025 are:

1. Modernize IRS Processing to Increase Efficiency and Improve the Taxpayer Experience
2. Improve IRS Employee Hiring, Recruitment, Retention, and Training Processes
3. Enhance IRS Transparency by Improving Applicable Technology, Sufficiently Explaining Modernization Progress, and Providing Straightforward Guidance on Tax Law
4. Improve Taxpayer Access to Telephone and In-Person Assistance
5. Increase Awareness of the Need for IRS Oversight of Paid Federal Return Preparers
6. Reduce Processing Times for Identity Theft Victim Assistance Cases
7. Improve the Customer Experience for Online Accounts Available to Individuals, Businesses, and Tax Professionals
8. Improve Administration of International Information Return Penalties by Eliminating Systemic Assessments, Offering a First-Time Abatement Waiver, and Increasing Taxpayer Awareness
9. Reduce Compliance Challenges for Taxpayers Abroad
10. Improve IRS Alternative Dispute Resolution Use and Effectiveness
11. Protect Taxpayer Rights in Employee Retention Credit Claims

Read All TAS Systemic Advocacy Objectives