Late Friday, the Department of Treasury posted a notice in the Federal Register regarding the IRS’s proposed rules for its whistleblower office (26 CFR Part 301 [Reg-141066-09]. The notice announces a public hearing on the proposed rules for the IRS Whistleblower Program. I previously shared information about these proposed rules here: IRS On Verge Of Crippling Whistleblower Program and here: IRS Whistleblowers Received Record Payouts in 2012, But Future Recoveries At Risk. In addition, the National Whistleblower Center issued an Action Alert regarding these proposed rules encouraging the public to submit comments. New IRS Regulations Hurt Whistleblowers, Help Swiss Bankers!
These proposed rules have caused uproar in the whistleblower community. On March 4 CNN Money noted that “"A grassroots campaign started by the National Whistleblower Center…saw more than 670 barb-laden letters from lawyers and ordinary citizens, an unusually high number, flood Miller’s desk over the past two months.” Also see: NWC Threatens Legal Action if IRS Does Not Bend on Whistleblower Rules.
This notice, filed late on Friday, which gives the public two business days to respond, has further enraged whistleblower advocates. See IRS to Gut Whistleblower Program-Publishes Notice in Fed Registry Providing Little to No Time for Public Comment.
The public hearing is being held on Wednesday, April 10, 2013, at 10:00 a.m., in the IRS Auditorium, Internal Revenue Service Building, 1111, Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20224.
Persons who submitted written comment by February 19, 2013, will be permitted to present oral comments at the hearing. A period of 10 minutes is allotted to each person for presenting oral comments. If you wish to present oral comments, you must submit an outline of the topics to be addressed and the amount of time to be denoted to each topic. The IRS must receive outlines of the topics to be discussed at the public hearing by Wednesday, March 20, 2013.
Send Submissions to:
CC:PA:LPD:PR (REG–141066–09), room 5205
Internal Revenue Service,
P.O. Box 7604
Ben Franklin Station
Washington, DC 20044.
Submissions may be hand-delivered Monday through Friday to:
CC:PA:LPD:PR (REG–141066–09),
Couriers Desk, Internal Revenue
Service, 1111 Constitution Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20224
Submissions may also be sent electronically via the Federal eRulemaking Portal at www.regulations.gov (REG–141066–09).
Due to building security procedures, visitors must enter at the Constitution Avenue entrance. In addition, all visitors must present photo identification to enter the building. For information about having your name placed on the building access list to attend the hearing, contact Oluwafunmilayo Taylor at (202) 622–7180.
