Ehrlich on Washington column, April 17, 2000

MEWS FROM Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. Second Congressional District of Maryland 1407 York Road, Suite 304 Lutherville, Maryland 21093 3 1 5 Cannon House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 EHRLICH ON WASHINGTON Week of April 1 7, 2000 By Congressman Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. Working for Taxpayer Rights Spring has finally arrived - bringing with it family picnics, trips to Camden Yards, and afternoons spent outside. Unfortunately, the rites of Spring must often take a back seat to certain, other rites common to this season: the frustration, stress, and headaches as we prepare our complicated Federal tax forms before the filing deadline. Since coming to Congress in 1994, my colleagues and I in the Republican-led Congress have cut taxes and worked to simplify the tax code. For example, we eliminated most federal taxes on home sales. Today, you do not have to bring a shoe-box full of receipts to your accountant if you sell your home. Still, tax day is not a day of celebration: taxes remain too high and the tax code is too complicated and confusing. As your representative, I am striving to do more to get the IRS out of your life and the lives of other taxpayers. This week, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 4163, the Taxpayer Bill of Rights 2000 (TBOR 2000). This reform addresses many concerns about the need to ensure the Federal tax system fairly treats and further protects the rights of all tax paying Americans. This expansion of the Taxpayer Bill of Rights builds on the IRS Reform Act we passed in 1998 — the first reform of the IRS since 1952. Our new plan guarantees you additional help in the following areas: TBOR strengthens privacy rights. Taxpayers entrust extraordinarily personal information to the government when filing their taxes. There have been a number of incidents where high-tech computer hackers have stolen credit card account information, Social Security numbers, and medical records. TBOR 2000 requires the IRS to address this situation so taxpayer data remains secure. Many States have access to federal tax information. TBOR 2000 mandates States conduct annual, on-site, systems reviews to safeguard against illegal disclosures and computer hackers. Our plan also requires the IRS to notify taxpayers immediately if their private tax information is obtained illegally by third parties. TBOR 2000 also ends privacy abuses which occur when banks ask taxpayers to authorize the release of tax information on forms which are undated and