Tom Rice: “As a former tax lawyer and CPA, I have seen too often the detrimental effect of substandard technology at the IRS and…”

“As a former tax lawyer and CPA, I have seen too often the detrimental effect of substandard technology at the IRS and substandard customer service. I stand in support today of the Taxpayer First Act. Since the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act became the law of the land, our economic potential has been unleashed, and America is, once again, the land of opportunity. When we passed the tax reform package, our message was clear: We won't wait another 30 years to take up tax legislation. We will consistently work to improve the system for American taxpayers. In order for any company to be successful, it needs modern technology that supports its customer service mission. The IRS, whose customers are 140 million Americans, should be no exception. Filing taxes should be straightforward and simple, and taxpayers should be treated fairly and with respect by the IRS. However, that is not how the majority of Americans describe their experience with the agency. This legislation will require the IRS to modernize their ancient technology and will address many of the issues American taxpayers face when dealing with our Nation's tax collector. Included in this package is my bill, the Electronic Signature Standards Act, which requires the IRS to implement uniform standards to accept electronic signatures. This is a simple, free way for small businesses and individual taxpayers to comply with system requirements.…”