Office of Chief Counsel Archives - TAX CONTROVERSY 360

Weekly IRS Roundup January 1 – January 5, 2024

by Kevin Spencer, Evan Walters and John Zhang | Jan 9, 2024 | IRS Guidance, Tax Reform, Tax Refunds

Check out our summary of significant Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidance and relevant tax matters for the week of January 1, 2024 – January 5, 2024.

January 2, 2024: The IRS released Internal Revenue Bulletin 2024-1, which includes the following:

Revenue Procedure 2024-1, which contains the revised procedures for letter rulings and information letters issued by the different offices of the associate chief counsel. This revenue procedure also contains the revised procedures for determination letters issued by the Large Business and International Division, the Small Business/Self-Employed Division, the Wage and Investment Division and the Tax Exempt and Government Entities (TE/GE) Division.
Revenue Procedure 2024-2, which explains when and how associate chief counsel offices should provide advice in technical advice memoranda (TAM). The revenue procedure also explains taxpayers’ rights when a field office requests a TAM.
Revenue Procedure 2024-3, which provides a revised list of areas of the Internal Revenue Code under the jurisdiction of the associate chief counsel’s offices of Corporate; Financial Institutions and Products; Income Tax and Accounting; Passthroughs and Special Industries; Procedure and Administration; and Employee Benefits, Exempt Organizations, and Employment Taxes. These relate to matters in which the IRS will not issue letter rulings or determination letters.
Revenue Procedure 2024-4, which provides guidance on the types of advice the IRS offers to taxpayers on issues under the jurisdiction of the Commissioner, TE/GE Division and Employee Plans Rulings and Agreements. It also details the procedures that apply to requests for determination letters and private letter rulings. This revenue procedure updates Revenue Procedure 2023-4.
Revenue Procedure 2024-5, which provides the procedures for issuing determination letters on issues under the jurisdiction of the Director, Exempt Organizations Rulings and Agreements.
Revenue Procedure 2024-7, which provides the areas under the jurisdiction of the associate chief counsel (international) in which letter rulings and determination letters will not be issued.

January 4, 2024: The IRS encouraged taxpayers to check out IRS.gov for tips, tools and resources to help them prepare to file their 2023 federal income tax returns.

January 4, 2024: The IRS published Tax Tip 2024-01, which provides a brief overview of tax credits and deductions for individuals.

January 5, 2024: The IRS announced an extension for dealers and sellers of clean vehicles to submit time-of-sale reports. Dealers and sellers generally will now have until January 19, 2024, to submit a time-of-sale report for vehicles sold from January 1, 2024, through January 16, 2024.

January 5, 2024: The IRS announced the launch of a special Tax Professional Awareness Week that will commence January 8, 2024, and assist tax professionals on what to expect during the 2024 filing season.

January 5, 2024: The IRS released its weekly list of written determinations (e.g., Private Letter Rulings, Technical Advice Memorandums and Chief [...]

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Senate Confirms Rettig as Next IRS Commissioner; Desmond Next?

by Kevin Spencer and McDermott Will & Emery | Sep 13, 2018 | IRS Audits, Tax Reform, Trial Courts, Uncategorized

On September 12, 2018, the Senate confirmed, by a vote of 64-33, Charles P. Rettig to be Commissioner of the Internal Revenue for the term expiring November 12, 2022. We previously discussed the nomination of Mr. Rettig and his background here.

The IRS Commissioner presides over the United States’ tax system and is responsible for establishing and interpreting tax administration policy and for developing strategic issues, goal and objectives for managing and operating the IRS. This includes responsibility for overall planning, directing, controlling and evaluating IRS policies, programs, and performance. The IRS Commissioner is also required by statute under Internal Revenue Code (Code) Section 7803 to ensure that all IRS employees are familiar with and act in accord with the Taxpayer Bill of Rights.

The nomination of Michael J. Desmond to be Chief Counsel of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) remains pending in the Senate. We previously discussed the nomination of Mr. Desmond and his background here.

The IRS Chief Counsel serves as the chief legal advisor to the IRS Commissioner on all matters pertaining to the interpretation, administration, and enforcement of the Internal Revenue Code, as well as all other legal matters. Attorneys in the IRS Chief Counsel’s Office serve as lawyers for the IRS. Their role is to provide the IRS and taxpayers with guidance on interpreting Federal tax laws correctly, represent the IRS in litigation, and provide all other legal support required to carry out the IRS mission

Nominations Announced for Tax Court and IRS Commissioner

by K. Christy Vouri-Misso, McDermott Will & Emery and McDermott Will & Emery | Jan 24, 2018 | Trial Courts, Uncategorized

On January 23, 2018, President Trump announced his intent to nominate Courtney Dunbar Jones to the US Tax Court. He previously nominated Elizabeth Copeland and Patrick Urda on August 3, 2017.

Courtney Dunbar Jones is a senior attorney in the Tax-Exempt and Government Entities division in the Office of Chief Counsel of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). If confirmed, she will assume the position left vacant by the 2016 retirement of Judge John O. Colvin. Judge Colvin still performs judicial duties as a Senior Judge on recall.

On January 24, 2018, numerous press outlets announced that President Trump will nominate Charles “Chuck” Rettig of Hochman, Salkin, Rettig, Toscher & Perez, to serve as the next Commissioner of the IRS.

Rettig has been in private practice at Hochman, Salkin for more than 35 years and has a long record of leadership in our field. Among his many accomplishments, Rettig was instrumental in working with the IRS to establish key settlement initiatives over the last 15 years, including providing key practitioner guidance in designing the Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program.

If confirmed, Rettig would helm an IRS that has been significantly reshaped by budget cuts and staff attrition in recent years. Rettig would also oversee the implementation of tax reform. Rettig has been a friend and mentor to many of us in the tax controversy bar over the years, and we are encouraged by the selection of someone from the private bar to the post.

Acting IRS Chief Counsel appoints new Deputy Chief Counsel (Operations)

by Robin L. Greenhouse | Mar 30, 2017 | Court Procedure Matters, IRS Appeals, IRS Audits, IRS Guidance, Uncategorized

The Acting Chief Counsel announced that effective April 1, 2017, Drita Tonuzi will serve as the Deputy Chief Counsel (Operations), in Washington DC. In this position, Ms. Tonuzi will provide legal guidance and litigation support to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Departments of Treasury and Justice in all matters pertaining to the administration and enforcement of the Internal Revenue laws. This includes responsibility for all litigation in the United States Tax Court as well as the management of personnel in fifty field offices nationwide and in headquarters operations in Washington, DC. She will directly supervises nine Divisions including Large Business and International (LB&I), Small Business/Self Employed (SB/SE), Tax Exempt and Governmental Entities (TEGEDC), Wage and Investment (W&I), General Legal Services (GLS), Criminal Tax (CT), Procedure and Administration (P&A), Finance and Management (F&M) and Counsel to the National Taxpayer Advocate (CNTA).

Ms. Tonuzi began her career with the Office of Chief Counsel in 1987 in the Manhattan Office, where she litigated cases before the United States Tax Court. She served as the Securities & Financial Services Firms Industry Counsel and managed a group of attorneys, Deputy Division Counsel for the Large Business & International Division (formerly LMSB), where she was responsible for the operation and litigation of the organization and most recently she served as Associate Chief Counsel Practice and Administration.

With Ms. Tonuzi’s promotion, Kathryn Zuba has been appointed as the Acting Associate Chief Counsel, Procedure and Administration. Ms. Zuba will head an office of more than 150 professionals, who provide legal services to the IRS, other components of the Chief Counsel’s Office, other government agencies, and the public in the areas of federal tax procedure and administration. The responsibilities of this office include matters relating to the reporting and payment of taxes; assessment and collection of taxes; the abatement, credit or refund of over-assessments or overpayments of taxes; the filing of information returns; bankruptcy; disclosure; FOIA; privacy law; litigation sanctions; judicial doctrines; ethics; and liaison with the courts.