Treasury Department Announces Maine Member of Taxpayer Advocacy Panel
WASHINGTON, Oct. 10, 2002–The Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service has named a Corinth woman to a newly created nationwide Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (TAP). Catherine Kelly, the only Maine appointee, will join 101 other volunteers on the new panel created to represent the concerns and issues of taxpayers to the federal government.
Kelly, 65, a former U.S. postal service worker in the town of Kenduskeag and state coordinator for the American Association of Retired Persons Tax-Aide says her experience and her ability to handle taxpayer problems won her appointment. Kelly also worked for the former Northeast Banking and Trust Company and H&R Block, while also juggling a full house of six children and now seven grandchildren.
“I hope I can make a difference,” says Kelly who will be asked to devote over 300 hours of volunteer time per year to the job. For now she plans to serve at least two years.
Kelly hopes to raise a number of issues with the panel including the general public’s inability to understand certain IRS forms, notices, publications and tax laws. The earned income tax credit is another matter Kelly wants the panel to discuss. Kelly’s goal in serving on the panel is to raise issues important to taxpayers and make them more comfortable about bringing their questions and problems to the IRS.
“Hopefully I can make people see that the IRS is there to help people, not hurt them,” says Kelly. “I encourage anyone to contact me. I do not work for the IRS; I’m here and I can help you.”
Kelly and the other new TAP members spent the early part of this week in Washington D.C., for meetings and orientation. Treasury Assistant Secretary for Tax Policy, Pam Olson also met with them and applauded their commitment.
“The President has spoken of the value of volunteerism in America and he has urged Americans to volunteer to help their neighbors, their communities, and their government. Never has this been more important,” Olson said to the group on Tuesday. “You have all volunteered to serve and your work is essential to ensuring a more taxpayer-friendly IRS.”
Published in The Bangor Daily News, in Maine.
