On the recordApril 17, 2012
I rise to introduce the Small Business Taxpayer Bill of Rights Act of 2012, SBTBOR. I am very pleased that Senators Snowe, Hutchison, and Heller are cosponsors of this taxpayer- friendly legislation. As Americans across the country race to meet today's deadline to complete their federal tax return, it is important to note that their tax burden is more than just the amount of tax paid to the federal government. Taxpayers also bear the burden of the cost of complying with the tax code. Analysts predict that taxpayers will spend over $350 billion this year alone to comply with the tax code. In addition, according to a survey by the National Small Business Association, over half of the respondents reported that they spend more than 40 hours a year dealing with federal taxes and spend more than $5,000 each year just on the administration of federal taxes. In addition, a dispute over a complex tax code with the IRS can become an expensive endeavor for small businesses, who have limited resources to fight off frivolous IRS claims. With the passage of the 2010 health care act, this burden is expected to increase in the future. At a time when job creation remains weak, small businesses should be spending their time and resources creating jobs, not cutting through miles of burdensome IRS red tape. The Small Business Taxpayer Bill of Rights seeks to mitigate this problem.…
