Bloomberg (Michael Rapoport), IRS Dispute Resolution Programs Still Expanding, Official Says

The IRS appeals office’s programs for alternative ways to settle tax disputes continue to grow, the head of the office said Tuesday.

Alternative dispute resolution programs, which help taxpayers resolve disputes without long, costly litigation, are “an area where we see the need to add to our capacity,” said David Borden, chief of the IRS Independent Office of Appeals.

The office is “very pleased” with the number of taxpayers entering its fast-track program, and has seen a “very significant increase” in requests for post-appeals mediation, Borden said. The office has trained about 75 additional appeals officers to work on mediation programs, and has sought to increase the complexity of issues that the fast-track program can deal with, said Borden, who spoke at a conference in Palo Alto, Calif., sponsored by San Jose State University and the Tax Executives Institute. Read more…