IRS Office of Appeals to Pilot Internet Virtual Conference Option

On July 24, 2017, the IRS Office of Appeals announced that it will soon pilot a new Internet virtual conference option for taxpayers and their representatives. This new option will offer an additional choice for holding taxpayer conferences and will come as close as possible to a “face-to-face” meeting.

Internet Virtual Conference Option: Existing Options

Each year, the IRS Office of Appeals hears appeals of more than 100,000 taxpayers. The main purpose of such an appeal is to resolve tax issues without going to court. By avoiding the court, the taxpayers are able to dispute the original IRS finding in a convenient and fast way; they can even introduce additional evidence without the formal procedures required in court. The IRS Office of Appeals is also a very cheap forum for disputing IRS decisions compared to federal court. Finally, it is one of the ten rights guaranteed to taxpayers under the Taxpayer Bill of Rights

Currently, the taxpayers who utilize the appeals process can participate in a meeting with an Appeals Officer in three ways: in person, by phone or through a special video conference technology. Each of these options has its own problems. A face-to-face meeting with an Appeals Officer may require substantial traveling for the taxpayer. A telephone conference resolves this problem, but it loses the personal interaction that so many taxpayers prefer.

While the current video conference option partially resolves both problems, its biggest drawback is limited availability – only a few IRS Offices have the necessary technology.

Internet Virtual Conference Option Aims to Offer Another Option to Supplement the Existing Ones

The new Internet Virtual Conference Option aims to resolve the current problems with the existing options. The idea is to provide a secure, web-based screen-sharing platform to connect with taxpayers face-to-face from anywhere they have internet access – this is very similar to Video Skype Conferences offered by Sherayzen Law Office.

In essence the pilot Internet Virtual Conference Option will allow for greater access of the IRS by the taxpayers. In the future, it is likely that this option will become the preferred one by the IRS and the taxpayers.

Internet Virtual Conference Option Pilot Will Start on August 1, 2017

The IRS Office of Appeals plans to commence the pilot Internet Virtual Conference Option on August 1, 2017. After the pilot program is completed, the IRS will analyze the results and determine the taxpayers’ satisfaction with the technology. Sherayzen Law Office predicts that, once the technology is finalized, the IRS Internet Virtual Conference Option will become a permanent feature in the near future.