[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 53 (Thursday, April 15, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E550]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    TAXPAYER ASSISTANCE ACT OF 2010

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. BOB ETHERIDGE

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 14, 2010

  Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4994, the 
Taxpayer Assistance Act of 2010. As we arrive at another tax filing 
deadline, I am pleased to support many of the measures to assist 
taxpayers and improve the Internal Revenue Code that have been 
discussed in the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight.
  I just returned from a tax day event in my district, where I heard 
from several folks who live in the Second District about how they are 
saving money this tax year because of the American Recovery and 
Reinvestment Act and other recent tax cuts. As North Carolina's only 
Member of the House Committee on Ways and Means, I am proud to work to 
promote tax fairness for all Americans. In fact, the vast majority of 
middle-class North Carolinians are receiving larger refunds or paying 
less taxes than they were last year or the year before because of our 
action.
  However, many Americans have difficulty navigating the complexities 
of the tax code. They need to know where to turn for information, which 
is one of the things we discussed at Monday's tax day event. I am 
pleased to support this bill because it will help taxpayers get 
assistance in filing their taxes. Under the Taxpayer Assistance Act of 
2010, we will provide referrals from the IRS to Low Income Taxpayer 
Clinics (LITCs), increase funding for Volunteer Income Tax Assistance 
(VITA) sites, expand outreach for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), 
make sure the IRS notifies taxpayers of unclaimed refunds, and help 
protect taxpayers from identity theft. H.R. 4994 will also improve tax 
fairness by studying the delivery of tax refunds and the effectiveness 
of collection alternatives. The bill also fixes the outdated tax 
treatment of business cell phones, so that businesses do not face the 
double burden of providing phones to their employees and also paying 
taxes for them as a benefit.
  Our goal should be to make our tax code more fair and workable for 
individuals, families, businesses and employees across the country, and 
this bill does just that. Improving the process for millions of 
taxpaying Americans should be a bipartisan priority. I support H.R. 
4994 and urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in 
working together across party lines and voting for its passage.

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