Taxpayers Have a New Voice—Erin M. Collins Appointed as National Taxpayer Advocate

On February 27, 2020, news quickly spread throughout the tax world concerning the announcement that Erin M. Collins has been appointed to serve as the new National Taxpayer Advocate (NTA). Both the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s press release^[1] and the Taxpayer Advocate Service’s announcement^[2] introduce taxpayers to the new NTA-the “voice” of the taxpayer.

According to the announcements, Ms. Collins’ distinguished professional background includes twenty years as a Managing Director of KPMG’s Tax Controversy Services practice for the Western Area. Before that, Ms. Collins spent 15 years as an attorney in the IRS Office of Chief Counsel. The Treasury emphasized that:

Throughout her career, she represented individuals, partnerships and corporate taxpayers on technical and procedural tax matters, and has also provided pro bono services to taxpayers to resolve disputes with the IRS.^[3]

Moreover, the Taxpayer Advocate Service highlights that Ms. Collins is a two-time recipient of the National Litigation Award-the highest award presented by the IRS Office of Chief Counsel. The Taxpayer Advocate Service also noted her frequent speaking engagements regarding “IRS practice, procedure, controversy and litigation matters” and that she “is co-author of the Practising Law Institute’s Internal Revenue Service Practice and Procedure Deskbook.”^[4]

Significantly, the Treasury also stated that Ms. Collins has demonstrated a commitment to inspiring “professional women to work with teen girls from under resourced communities through after-school and weekend mentorship programs.”^[5] Such programs, according to the Treasury, empowered girls to build confidence to seek higher education and enter professional careers. The Treasury also noted her unpaid work with non-profits that focused “on underserved communities where English is typically the second language spoken at home.”^[6] The Taxpayer Advocate Service echoed these admirable endeavors and added that “[r]ecently, she has represented several taxpayers on a pro bono basis in resolving problems with the IRS.”^[7]

In her own words, Ms. Collins expressed:

I am deeply honored to join the talented team at the IRS as the National Taxpayer Advocate and thank Secretary Mnuchin and Commissioner Rettig for the trust they have placed in me,” Ms. Collins said. “I will work every day to be a strong and effective representative of American taxpayers.^[8]

If you have tax questions or concerns, call Frost Law today at 410-497-5947.

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Tags: Articles, Tax Topics