Walz Introduces Bill to Help Service Members and their Families with Taxes

Press Release

Ahead of Tax Day, U.S. Representatives Tim Walz (MN-01) and Ron Kind (WI-03) introduced the Military Taxpayer Assistance Act (H.R. 5479), which establishes a year-round dedicated toll-free IRS telephone line to answer questions military taxpayers and their families have about their taxes.

"Helping our warriors and their families navigate their uniquely complex tax issues is the least we can do for those who sacrifice so much for our country," said Rep. Tim Walz. "This commonsense bill will help provide our service members and their loved ones the peace of mind they deserve when working to meet their tax obligations."

"The brave men and women that serve in our armed forces often face unnecessary challenges when completing their taxes," said Rep. Ron Kind. "We need to set our military members and their families up for success, and provide every possible resource to them ahead of tax day."

The Retired Enlisted Association also voiced support for the bill:

"Filing taxes is complicated. It becomes even harder once you come down on orders," said Michael Saunders, Deputy Legislative Director for The Retired Enlisted Association. "There are over 30 different types of orders that members of the National Guard and Reserves can receive; each one can have different types of tax implications. Having a dedicated phone number to call where somebody can quickly answer your questions would go a long way towards simplifying a process that some people hate more than going to the dentist. It is long overdue that the IRS become more user-friendly for our men and women of the seven Uniformed Services. "I don't know' is not an acceptable answer, and neither is antiquated information on the IRS website."

There are about 1.3 million active duty service members and over 800,000 Reserves and National Guard personnel in the United States. Currently, the IRS does not have employees assigned exclusively to assist service members or dedicated telephone lines for military taxpayers to call with questions. Because of the unique tax issues and challenging situations they face, members of the military and their families often need specialized assistance in meeting their tax obligations.

The bill will also create a special unit within the IRS, staffed by veterans, to develop and conduct outreach, create education materials, and provide assistance to current service members, including National Guard and Reservists.

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