IRS adopting a more global approach.

• Author: Rocen, Donald T.
• Position: TAX POLICY - Internal Revenue Service - Legislation

Following through on his pledge earlier this year to try some new approaches in the international area, Internal Revenue Service Commissioner Douglas Shulman recently unveiled a realignment of the agency's Large and Mid-Size Business Division (LMSB).

That function, to be called the Large Business and International Division (LB&I) as of Oct. 1, will reorganize its international component and bring all of its international resources--including its examiners--under the chain of command of the deputy commissioner (International). Under the jurisdiction of the deputy commissioner (International), the staff will increase from its current level of 600 to almost 1,500.

The IRS' intention is to create a better platform on which to build its global tax compliance strategy. Housing all of its international specialists within one unit will integrate policy-makers, program designers, issue specialists and international agents into a cohesive team, with a common goal of devising and implementing an effective and efficient global tax compliance strategy.

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Through this realignment, IRS executives should be more readily informed about the current issues in international tax compliance, including the latest cross-border tax-planning techniques. They will also be better equipped to...