Meehan Bill Cements New Protections for Taxpayers

Press Release

The House Committee on Ways and Means today approved a series of bills that enhance protections for taxpayers in dealings with the Internal Revenue Service, increase transparency and hold IRS employees accountable.

H.R. 1314, introduced by Rep. Patrick Meehan (PA-07) and among the legislation approved by the committee today, codifies the right to an appeals process for non-profit organizations whose tax-exempt status has been denied by the Internal Revenue Service.

"This common sense legislation cements new taxpayer protections in statute and sends the clear signal that no American or group of Americans shall be targeted by their IRS for their political views," Meehan said.

"As we saw with IRS scandals of the last year, non-profit groups seeking tax-exempt status can be subject to the whims of politically motivated persons inside the bureaucracy. This is unfair and a gross violation of the trust we place in public officials to administer the laws impartially. Past IRS abuses only underscore the need for new protections to ensure a fair and transparent appeals process," Meehan added.

"All organizations seeking 501(c)4 status should be entitled to an impartial application review process by the IRS," said Rep. Peter Roskam (R-IL), who chairs the Ways and Means Committee's Subcommittee on Oversight. "This should, at a minimum, include the option to directly petition the IRS if a group's request for tax exemption is rejected. I applaud Congressman Meehan for spearheading this noncontroversial bill to grant organizations this fundamental right to appeal adverse determinations by the IRS."

Similar legislation, H.R. 5419, was approved unanimously by the House of Representatives during the 113th Congress. The legislation never received a vote in the Democrat-controlled Senate.

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