TEI supports adequate, focused funding for IRS.

• Position: Tax Executives Institute

June 3, 2009

On June 3, 2009, TEI President Vincent Alicandri sent the following letter to Representatives John Lewis and Charles Boustany, the Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee, concerning the Internal Revenue Service's budget for fiscal year 2010 (which begins on October 1).

On behalf of Tax Executives Institute, I urge the Congress to ensure that the Internal Revenue Service receives adequate funding for its fiscal year 2010 operations in order to enable the appropriate balance between its service and enforcement activities.

TEI's 7,000 members are accountants, attorneys and other business professionals who work for 3,200 of the largest companies in United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia. TEI's members work on tax issues, and with the IRS, on a daily basis. They are responsible for conducting the tax affairs of their companies and ensuring compliance with the tax laws. TEI is dedicated to the development and effective implementation of sound tax policy, to promoting the uniform and equitable enforcement of the tax laws, and to reducing the cost and burden of administration and compliance to the benefit of taxpayers and government alike.

The Institute is committed to maintaining a tax system that works--one that builds upon the principle of voluntary compliance and is consistent with sound tax policy, one that taxpayers can comply with, and one in which the IRS can effectively perform its audit function without unduly burdening taxpayers. We are proud of our record of working with the Internal Revenue Service and, in particular, its Large and Mid-Size Business Division to ensure compliance while providing taxpayers with the high level of customer service they deserve.

The Obama Administration has proposed an overall IRS FY2010 budget of $12.1 billion, a 5.2-percent increase over...