Thomas Ralph appointed to IRS taxpayer panel

Webster resident Thomas Ralph has been selected by the Treasury Department to serve on the national Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (TAP).

TAP was established by Congress in 2002, but like many others, Mr. Ralph wasn’t aware of its existence until recently. “When I learned about it and looked into it, I decided to apply,” he said. “Its purpose is to make recommendations to the Secretary of the Treasury and Congress as to how to make the IRS more consumer friendly.”

Mr. Ralph, a Sergeant in the Webster Police Department, is one of 83 volunteers nationwide chosen for the panel, and will serve for three years. He will represent local taxpayers as well as work on national issues.

Mr. Ralph has been appointed to the panel’s Refund Processing Committee. He noted that taxpayers who filed before January 26 may have their refund delayed for a week because of some new identity fraud software the IRS recently installed.

TAP members meet monthly by phone and devote 300-500 hours yearly to the panel. Members work with IRS executives on priority topics and also serve as a conduit for grassroots issues between the public and the IRS.

“As the IRS remains committed to improving services and assistance to taxpayers, the input from the citizen volunteers at TAP has never been more important,” said Nina Olson, head of the Taxpayer Advocate Service. “The Service is committed to making sure the IRS seeks out and considers panel members’ views on key initiatives impacting taxpayers before decisions are made.”

Mr. Ralph said the panel’s emphasis is on general complaints, issues that affect a majority of taxpayers on a national level.

He can be contacted by email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or by calling 888-912-1227. For more information about TAP, go to www.improveirs.org.