Taxpayer Assistance Act Of 2010

Floor Speech

Taxpayer Assistance Act Of 2010

* Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4994, the Taxpayer Assistance Act of 2010. As we arrive at another tax filing deadline, I am pleased to support many of the measures to assist taxpayers and improve the Internal Revenue Code that have been discussed in the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight.

* I just returned from a tax day event in my district, where I heard from several folks who live in the Second District about how they are saving money this tax year because of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and other recent tax cuts. As North Carolina's only Member of the House Committee on Ways and Means, I am proud to work to promote tax fairness for all Americans. In fact, the vast majority of middle-class North Carolinians are receiving larger refunds or paying less taxes than they were last year or the year before because of our action.

* However, many Americans have difficulty navigating the complexities of the tax code. They need to know where to turn for information, which is one of the things we discussed at Monday's tax day event. I am pleased to support this bill because it will help taxpayers get assistance in filing their taxes. Under the Taxpayer Assistance Act of 2010, we will provide referrals from the IRS to Low Income Taxpayer Clinics (LITCs), increase funding for Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites, expand outreach for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), make sure the IRS notifies taxpayers of unclaimed refunds, and help protect taxpayers from identity theft. H.R. 4994 will also improve tax fairness by studying the delivery of tax refunds and the effectiveness of collection alternatives. The bill also fixes the outdated tax treatment of business cell phones, so that businesses do not face the double burden of providing phones to their employees and also paying taxes for them as a benefit.

* Our goal should be to make our tax code more fair and workable for individuals, families, businesses and employees across the country, and this bill does just that. Improving the process for millions of taxpaying Americans should be a bipartisan priority. I support H.R. 4994 and urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in working together across party lines and voting for its passage.

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