Cardin Announces IRS Tax Payer Assistance Centers In Maryland To Remain Open

U.S. Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin announced today that the House has passed legislation that prohibits the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) from closing 68 Taxpayer Assistance Centers (TAC) nationwide, including four centers in Maryland, until the U.S. Department of Treasury submits a study on the potential impact of these closures to Congress.

The Bush Administration had proposed cutting the IRS by more than $134 million and eliminating 1,200 IRS customer service jobs. In Maryland, four out of the eight centers - Annapolis, Frederick, Salisbury and Wheaton - were to be close by Sept. 30, 2005. The Eastern Shore of Maryland would have been left with no assistance centers.

"The Taxpayer Assistance Centers are a citizen's frontline for personal help with questions and their taxes. These centers are so important because they are manned by IRS personnel who are trained to help with general inquiries, adjustments to tax accounts, payment plans for those who owe taxes, questions about IRS letters and notices, and levies on wages or bank accounts," said Rep. Cardin.

After the Administration announced its plan to close the centers, Rep. Cardin wrote U.S. Department of Treasury Secretary John Snow urging that these centers remain open to "preserve the face-to-face contact" that is so important for many taxpayers who have problems or questions.

The Congressman was the architect of the 1998 law to improve IRS customer service. "Closure of the centers would significantly hurt customer service and reduced taxpayer compliance, ultimately affecting revenues."

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