TREASURY INSPECTOR GENERAL FOR TAX ADMINISTRATION Fiscal Year 2020 Statutory Audit of Compliance With Legal Guidelines Prohibiting the Use of Illegal Tax Protester and Similar Designations September 8, 2020 Reference Number: 2020-30-057
[email protected] | www.treasury.gov/tigta | 202-622-6500 This report has cleared the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration disclosure review process and information determined to be restricted from public release has been redacted from this document. Redaction Legend: 1 1 = Tax Return/Return Information To report fraud, waste, or abuse, please call us at 1-800-366-4484 HIGHLIGHTS: Fiscal Year 2020 Statutory Audit of Compliance With Legal Guidelines Prohibiting the Use of Illegal Tax Protester and Similar Designations Final Audit Report issued on September 8, 2020 Reference Number 2020-30-057 Why TIGTA Did This Audit What TIGTA Found This audit was initiated because Prior to enactment of the RRA 98, the IRS used Illegal Tax Protester Congress enacted the prohibition indicators on the Individual Master File to accelerate enforcement against Illegal Tax Protester activity for taxpayers whose tax returns or correspondence contained designations due to a concern specific indicators of noncompliance with the tax law, such as the use that some taxpayers were being of arguments repeatedly rejected by the courts. Section 3707 of the permanently labeled as Illegal Tax RRA 98 required the IRS to remove the existing Illegal Tax Protester Protesters even though they had designations from taxpayers’ accounts on the Individual Master File subsequently become compliant beginning January 1, 1999. TIGTA’s review of taxpayer accounts on with the tax laws.