In part one of this two-part podcast, the NTA brings her unique perspective to bear on the status of the filing season and how the government shutdown affected not only the processing of returns but also IRS backlogs and workplans. She also discusses the Taxpayer First Act, H.R. 1957, and how it may affect the IRS’s Free File program, as well as the Pre-Refund Wage Verification program and how it is increasing TAS’s workload.

At the end of part one, when asked to compare IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig to previous commissioners, the NTA said, “Well, I mean for me, what has been the biggest change and relief possible, and I’ve said this for years, is that you have someone who knows tax administration. More than that, you know someone who has represented taxpayers before the IRS. So, I walk in there and I say, ‘I have this issue. This is what’s happening.’ And he gets it immediately.”

You can listen to A Conversation with the Taxpayer Advocate: Filing Season on the Tax Notes website.