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President Clinton received a set of some 200 separate recommendations for reforming the IRS. The plan comes after recent congressional hearings detailed cases of taxpayers being mistreated by the IRS and after tens of thousands of hours of work by a government task force. A background report is followed by a panel discussion.

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KWAME HOLMAN: This morning at the White House President Clinton received a set of some 200 separate recommendations for reforming the IRS. The plan comes after recent congressional hearings detailed cases of taxpayers being mistreated by the IRS and after tens of thousands of hours of work by a government task force, according to Vice President Al Gore, who presented the reform plan to the President.

PRESIDENT CLINTON: Let me say, as someone who had not worked in Washington until I became President, I have spent most of my life talking to people who were on the receiving end of the IRS for good or ill. And I took particular interest in the recent congressional hearings into the problems of IRS policy and some specific examples of taxpayer abuse. Like most Americans I was genuinely angered by the stories of our citizens harassed and humiliated by what seemed to them to be an all powerful, unaccountable, and often downright tone deaf agency.

KWAME HOLMAN: The plan given to the President covers four major areas, beginning with improving the quality and quantity of IRS service. A ban is now in place on the use of dollar collection goals for IRS employees, which contributed to overzealous collection efforts. Hours taxpayers can call the IRS for assistance will be expanded, first next January and by January 1999, IRS employees will be available by phone all day, every day. To help troubleshoot taxpayers' problems the number of taxpayer advocates who assisted 300,000 filers last year will be expanded. And new so-called citizen advocacy panels will be created in each of the IRS's 33 districts to help taxpayers if the tax advocates don't.

The plan also would put in place more lenient IRS procedures, including giving taxpayers with health problems more time to apply for refunds, and taking steps to hold spouses harmless for the tax problems of a husband or wife. The task force also recommends creation of an IRS board of trustees with five members from the private sector. The board would report at least once a year to Congress and the President but would not have direct governing authority over the IRS, as suggested by some lawmakers. To begin improving the IRS's image Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin announced a national IRS problem solving day set for Saturday, November 15th, when all 33 IRS district offices will be open to help resolve taxpayer complaints. President Clinton said all of that is only the beginning of reforming the IRS.

PRESIDENT CLINTON: It is clear that we have more to do. The IRS should be above reproach. Americans who work hard and pay their taxes deserved to be treated fairly. And no one should ever have a home, a car, a livelihood threatened by unaccountable actions of government. Abuse or bullying or callousness by officials of our government are unacceptable whenever and wherever they occur. If they occur once, it's once too many but especially in connection with the IRS it is important that they be rooted out.

KWAME HOLMAN: On Capitol Hill today the plan got a lukewarm reception from Republicans. Rob Portman of Ohio sits on the tax-writing House Ways & Means Committee.

REP. ROB PORTMAN, (R) Ohio, Co-Chair, IRS Restructuring Commission: It's fair to say that the President's proposals are a step in the right direction but don't go nearly far enough. As I can read them, they actually pick up much of the identical language that's in the comprehensive, bipartisan legislation that is quickly working its way through Congress.

KWAME HOLMAN: This morning at the White House President Clinton received a set of some 200 separate recommendations for reforming the IRS. The plan comes after recent congressional hearings detailed cases of taxpayers being mistreated by the IRS and after tens of thousands of hours of work by a government task force, according to Vice President Al Gore, who presented the reform plan to the President.

PRESIDENT CLINTON: Let me say, as someone who had not worked in Washington until I became President, I have spent most of my life talking to people who were on the receiving end of the IRS for good or ill. And I took particular interest in the recent congressional hearings into the problems of IRS policy and some specific examples of taxpayer abuse. Like most Americans I was genuinely angered by the stories of our citizens harassed and humiliated by what seemed to them to be an all powerful, unaccountable, and often downright tone deaf agency.

KWAME HOLMAN: The plan given to the President covers four major areas, beginning with improving the quality and quantity of IRS service. A ban is now in place on the use of dollar collection goals for IRS employees, which contributed to overzealous collection efforts. Hours taxpayers can call the IRS for assistance will be expanded, first next January and by January 1999, IRS employees will be available by phone all day, every day.

To help troubleshoot taxpayers' problems the number of taxpayer advocates who assisted 300,000 filers last year will be expanded. And new so-called citizen advocacy panels will be created in each of the IRS's 33 districts to help taxpayers if the tax advocates don't. The plan also would put in place more lenient IRS procedures, including giving taxpayers with health problems more time to apply for refunds, and taking steps to hold spouses harmless for the tax problems of a husband or wife. The task force also recommends creation of an IRS board of trustees with five members from the private sector. The board would report at least once a year to Congress and the President but would not have direct governing authority over the IRS, as suggested by some lawmakers. To begin improving the IRS's image Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin announced a national IRS problem solving day set for Saturday, November 15th, when all 33 IRS district offices will be open to help resolve taxpayer complaints. President Clinton said all of that is only the beginning of reforming the IRS.

PRESIDENT CLINTON: It is clear that we have more to do. The IRS should be above reproach. Americans who work hard and pay their taxes deserved to be treated fairly. And no one should ever have a home, a car, a livelihood threatened by unaccountable actions of government. Abuse or bullying or callousness by officials of our government are unacceptable whenever and wherever they occur. If they occur once, it's once too many but especially in connection with the IRS it is important that they be rooted out.

KWAME HOLMAN: On Capitol Hill today the plan got a lukewarm reception from Republicans. Rob Portman of Ohio sits on the tax-writing House Ways & Means Committee.

REP. ROB PORTMAN, (R) Ohio, Co-Chair, IRS Restructuring Commission: It's fair to say that the President's proposals are a step in the right direction but don't go nearly far enough. As I can read them, they actually pick up much of the identical language that's in the comprehensive, bipartisan legislation that is quickly working its way through Congress.

KWAME HOLMAN: Republicans say they are prepared to legislate but are interested in reforming the tax code, something not addressed in the President's plan.

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