IRS Charts New Course at
Modernization Conference, Summers,
Rossotti Among Speakers Jan. 1 -14

WASHINGTON - The Internal Revenue Service will provide the most extensive public look yet into the agency’s modernization effort during a special January conference.

The Jan. 13-14 event will address questions about how the new IRS will operate and what impact the reorganization will have on taxpayers, tax practitioners and businesses. IRS leaders will join prominent private-sector tax professionals at the conference, titled "The New IRS Stands Up: What The Modernized Agency Means for You."

This will give tax professionals an in-depth look at how we’re reshaping the IRS into an agency dedicated to delivering top-notch service to taxpayers," IRS Commissioner Charles O. Rossotti said.

Rossotti and Treasury Secretary Lawrence H. Summers will be among the speakers on the conference’s opening day. The two-day event aimed at tax professionals will also feature a series of six panels outlining changes taking place during the IRS’s modernization.

In addition to the IRS, the conference is being presented by five groups:
The American Tax Policy Institute.
The American Bar Association’s Section of Taxation.
The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants’ Tax Division.
The National Association of Enrolled Agents.
The Tax Executives Institute.

The conference’s goals will be discussing the changes taking place at the IRS and encouraging open dialogue about how the reorganization will impact tax professionals, taxpayers and businesses.

"The conference will deliver valuable information to key tax practitioner groups, but the issues will also carry important implications for all taxpayers," Rossotti said. Following passage of last year’s landmark IRS Restructuring and Reform Act, the entire agency is reorganizing to meet the specialized needs of taxpayers. The IRS is shifting away from geographic set-up in 33 local District offices to a customer-based structure built around four major groups of taxpayers:
The Wage and Investment Income Division will cover 88 million tax filers.
The Small Business & Self-Employed Division will cover 40 million filers.
The Large and Mid-Size Business Division will cover 170,000 filers.
The Tax Exempt and Government Entities Division will cover about 1.5 million filers.

The modernization conference’s advance registration deadline is Dec. 15. Registration can be obtained by calling the National Association of Enrolled Agents at (301) 212-9608 or by visiting www. naea.org.

More information about the program is available through the IRS web site at www. irs.gov under the "What’s Hot" section.

Media registration: Seating is limited, so reporters should contact the National Association of Enrolled Agents at (301) 212-9608.

AGENDA

Thursday, Jan. 13

8:30 - 8:45 a.m.
Welcome
Len Podolin, President of the American Tax Policy Institute.

8:45 - 9:30 a.m.
Opening Remarks
IRS Commissioner Charles O. Rossotti

9:30 - 10:45 a.m.
Panel 1, An Overview of Modernization
The panel will describe the most important structural changes of modernization, including the four operating Divisions, the industry specialization categories and the Functional Divisions (Counsel, Appeals, Taxpayer Advocate Service, Criminal Investigation).

11 - 12:15 a.m.
Panel 2, Consistency and Coordination Issues Under Modernization
This panel will discuss how the operating Divisions will communicate with one another, how they will coordinate substantive issue positions, and how they intend to interact with the Functional and Support divisions, the Treasury Department and Congress.

12:15 - 2 p.m.
Luncheon and Address
Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers

2 - 3:15 p.m.
Panel 3, The Guidance Process Under Modernization
The panel will address how the redesigned IRS operating Divisions, the Office of Chief Counsel and the Treasury Department will identify emerging issues, develop published guidance and maintain consistency in tax law interpretations across Divisional lines.

3:30 - 5 p.m.
Panel 4, Changes to the Tax Controversy Process Under Modernization
The panel will examine procedural, personnel and geographic changes to the tax controversy process under modernization, including a focus on early intervention and problem prevention, changes in the audit and appeals processes, and the increased role of advance rulings, early issue resolution procedures and technical advice requests.

Friday, Jan. 14

8:30 - 11 a.m.
Panel 5, Breakout Sessions by Operating Divisions
A breakout session will be held for each of the four operating Divisions.

11:15 - noon
Panel 6, Ask the IRS
An open question-and-answer session.

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