Call to Action: Partner With TSCPA and AICPA on Social Campaign to Congressional Leaders on Penalty Relief
The coronavirus pandemic continues to cause many hardships to people everywhere, with CPAs and financial professionals being just as impacted. On Sept. 7-8, AICPA, TSCPA and several partner organizations are launching a social media campaign to encourage individuals to share their stories. We want to know how IRS penalties have made an already difficult 2020 and 2021 even harder. The continued push for penalty relief supports a forthcoming federal bill that offers targeted relief from the underpayment of estimated tax penalty. Please check TSCPA social media channels on Sept. 7-8 for shareable content or share your own stories using #COVIDPenaltyRelief and tag @TSCPA on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. You can also tag @AICPA, IRS (@IRS), a news outlet (e.g., @WSJ), and your member of Congress (Click these links to find your member of Congress and their Twitter handle).
TSCPA social channels:
Here are sample posts you can use:
- The #pandemic has caused a lot of personal and economic suffering in our country. Taxpayers need relief from #tax penalties now –we ask the @IRS to grant penalty relief. #COVIDPenaltyRelief @AICPA @TSCPA @[member of Congress]
- #Taxpayers and practitioners need penalty relief now. @AICPA has some suggestions for @IRS on #COVIDPenaltyRelief –we urge @IRSto consider the recommendations. @TSCPA @[member of Congress] #Tax https://www.aicpa.org/content/dam/aicpa/advocacy/tax/downloadabledocuments/56175896-additional-penalty-relief-comment-final.pdf
- #Taxpayers need underpayment and late payment penalty relief for the 2020 #tax year. The @IRS should grant #penaltyrelief now. #COVIDPenaltyRelief @AICPA @TSCPA @[member of Congress] https://www.aicpa.org/content/dam/aicpa/advocacy/tax/downloadabledocuments/56175896-additional-penalty-relief-comment-final.pdf
- The @IRS should offer reasonable cause penalty waivers that wouldn’t affect taxpayers’ eligibility for first-time abatement in the future –this is the type of #COVIDPenaltyRelief taxpayers need now. @AICPA @TSCPA @[member of Congress] #Tax https://www.aicpa.org/content/dam/aicpa/advocacy/tax/downloadabledocuments/56175896-additional-penalty-relief-comment-final.pdf
- @IRS should stop compliance actions until they are better able to resolve the issues correctly and quickly. Auto collection activities should be put on hold –no liens and levies for 90 days after May 17 deadline. #COVIDPenaltyRelief @AICPA @TSCPA @[member of Congress] #Tax https://www.aicpa.org/content/dam/aicpa/advocacy/tax/downloadabledocuments/56175896-additional-penalty-relief-comment-final.pdf
- @IRS should align requests for account holds with the time it takes them to process any penalty abatement requests. Thisis the kind of relief that #taxpayers and practitioners need now. #COVIDPenaltyRelief @AICPA @TSCPA @[member of Congress] #Tax https://www.aicpa.org/content/dam/aicpa/advocacy/tax/downloadabledocuments/56175896-additional-penalty-relief-comment-final.pdf
- Grateful to @RepJudyChu for introducing a bill to help taxpayers affected by the pandemic. People are struggling and providing penalty relief measures will lessen the burdens for taxpayers and the @IRS alike. #COVIDPenaltyRelief @AICPA @TSCPA @[member of Congress] #Tax
The IRS penalty issue
The profession has been working to raise awareness around the hardships that members and taxpayers have endured – erroneous notices, not being able to reach the IRS, liens and levies escalating rapidly, and more. TSCPA has heard from members frequently, especially during the pandemic. Congresswoman Chu (D-CA) is expected to introduce a bill that includes targeted penalty relief from the underpayment of estimated tax penalty. In addition, the U.S. House Ways & Means Committee is meeting on Thursday, Sept. 9, and we want the issue to be on its radar. Members of Congress hearing from their constituents and through social media will spotlight the penalty issue and the relief that’s needed. We’ll be using the hashtag “#COVIDPenaltyRelief” for the campaign.