Congressman Charles W. Boustany, Jr., M.D., (R-LA), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight of the Committee on Ways and Means, today announced that the Subcommittee will hold a hearing on the operations of the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) Exempt Organizations (EO) Division since the revelation that the IRS targeted certain organizations on the basis of their political views.  The hearing will take place at 2:00 P.M. on Wednesday, September 18, 2013, in room 1100 of the Longworth House Office Building.

Acting Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service Daniel Werfel will be the only witness at the hearing.  However, any individual or organization not scheduled for an oral appearance may submit a written statement for consideration by the Committee and for inclusion in the printed record of the hearing.

BACKGROUND:

On May 14, 2013, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) released an audit report titled, “Inappropriate Criteria Were Used to Identify Tax-Exempt Applications for Review,” detailing the IRS’s targeting of certain organizations.  This report confirmed widespread allegations that the IRS was treating organizations differently based on their political beliefs, including delaying review of their applications and burdening them with onerous and inappropriate requests for information. In response to Congressional investigations and inquiries, then-Principal Deputy Commissioner Daniel Werfel on June 25, 2013 released a report titled, “Charting a Path Forward at the IRS: Initial Assessment and Plan of Action,” which acknowledged failures at the agency and detailed corrective action the IRS would take.

The Subcommittee will consider the Exempt Organizations Division’s progress in implementing both TIGTA’s and Mr. Werfel’s recommendations and examine outstanding issues, including how the IRS is managing the current backlog of applications for tax-exempt status.

In announcing the hearing, Chairman Boustany said, “Four months after the IRS first admitted to targeting applicants for tax-exempt status there are still many outstanding questions about when the targeting started, who knew about it, and why it was allowed to continue.  While the Committee continues to seek those answers, we have heard repeated promises of corrective action at the IRS.  This hearing will provide the agency the opportunity to come before Congress and provide an update on what steps it is taking to ensure that this abuse—including interminable delays—never happens again.”

FOCUS OF THE HEARING:

The hearing will focus on reviewing the current state and practices of the IRS’s Exempt Organizations Division at the IRS following the May 14, 2013 TIGTA audit report and then-Principal Deputy Commissioner Werfel’s June 25, 2013 report.

DETAILS FOR SUBMISSION OF WRITTEN COMMENTS:

Please Note: Any person(s) and/or organization(s) wishing to submit written comments for the hearing record must follow the appropriate link on the hearing page of the Committee website and complete the informational forms.  From the Committee homepage, https://waysandmeans.house.gov, select “Hearings.”  Select the hearing for which you would like to submit, and click on the link entitled, “Click here to provide a submission for the record.”  Once you have followed the online instructions, submit all requested information.  ATTACH your submission as a Word document, in compliance with the formatting requirements listed below, by the close of business on Wednesday, October 2, 2013.  Finally, please note that due to the change in House mail policy, the U.S. Capitol Police will refuse sealed-package deliveries to all House Office Buildings.  For questions, or if you encounter technical problems, please call (202) 225-3625 or (202) 225-5522.

FORMATTING REQUIREMENTS:

The Committee relies on electronic submissions for printing the official hearing record.  As always, submissions will be included in the record according to the discretion of the Committee.  The Committee will not alter the content of your submission, but we reserve the right to format it according to our guidelines.  Any submission provided to the Committee by a witness, any supplementary materials submitted for the printed record, and any written comments in response to a request for written comments must conform to the guidelines listed below.  Any submission or supplementary item not in compliance with these guidelines will not be printed, but will be maintained in the Committee files for review and use by the Committee.

1. All submissions and supplementary materials must be provided in Word format and MUST NOT exceed a total of 10 pages, including attachments. Witnesses and submitters are advised that the Committee relies on electronic submissions for printing the official hearing record.

2. Copies of whole documents submitted as exhibit material will not be accepted for printing. Instead, exhibit material should be referenced and quoted or paraphrased.  All exhibit material not meeting these specifications will be maintained in the Committee files for review and use by the Committee.

3. All submissions must include a list of all clients, persons and/or organizations on whose behalf the witness appears.  A supplemental sheet must accompany each submission listing the name, company, address, telephone, and fax numbers of each witness.

The Committee seeks to make its facilities accessible to persons with disabilities.  If you are in need of special accommodations, please call 202-225-1721 or 202-226-3411 TTD/TTY in advance of the event (four business days notice is requested).  Questions with regard to special accommodation needs in general (including availability of Committee materials in alternative formats) may be directed to the Committee as noted above.

Note: All Committee advisories and news releases are available on the World Wide Web at http://www.waysandmeans.house.gov/.