Each year the IRS sponsors the Nationwide Tax Forums, a three-day series of tax education and networking conferences for tax professionals in cities around the country. These events feature the latest information from the IRS, news about tax law changes, the chance to meet with software vendors, and the opportunity to attend nearly 50 seminars presented by IRS employees and members of professional associations.

At this year’s Forums, Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) will present a series of seminars, oversee the Case Resolution Program, and host two focus groups. TAS’s seminars include:

Advocating In Liability Cases Using IRS Innocent Spouse Provisions – Innocent Spouse Most Litigated Issue

The presentation will define the legal terms used in the code and the types of relief available under the statute. The course will also review Form 8857, Request for Innocent Spouse Relief, and discuss how to effectively explain to the IRS why it should grant the requested form of relief.

Advocating For Your Client In Cases Involving Charitable Contribution Deduction Issues

This presentation will provide a general overview of the rules for charitable contribution deductions under Section 170 of the Internal Revenue Code, a recurring topic discussed in the Most Litigated Issues section of the National Taxpayer Advocate’s Annual Report to Congress. It will cover the legal requirements for taxpayers to take these deductions, examine recent court cases involving these issues, and provide advocacy tips to practitioners.

Advocating For Your Uniformed Client – Military Tax Issues

This presentation will provide a general overview of the military tax issues, including extensions of tax filing deadlines, especially for those serving overseas; combat zone income exclusions; tax abatement for service members who die in combat zones or qualified hazardous duty areas; individual retirement account (IRA) contributions from tax-free combat pay; tax return signature authority without a power of attorney; unique capital gains exclusions for service members who sell their homes; deductions for relocation expenses, travel expenses for reservists, and military uniforms; waivers for early withdrawals from IRAs; rules pertaining to the choice of service members to include their nontaxable combat pay as earned income for purposes of Earned Income Tax Credit; and refund claims under the Combat-Veterans Tax Fairness Act of 2016.

Case Resolution Program

You can once again bring your toughest unresolved IRS case (one client case per tax business) to the Case Resolution Program. IRS representatives with specialized expertise will be available by appointment only to meet one-on-one with you. If we can’t resolve the case onsite or it needs more research, we’ll assign it to the appropriate TAS office for follow-up.

You must present a signed original or copy of your Power of Attorney (POA), IRS Form 2848, authorizing disclosure of confidential tax information when scheduling an appointment. Only the practitioners listed on the POA can enter the Case Resolution Room. For an appointment, visit the Case Resolution table on Monday before the forum begins, from 1-6 p.m. local time, or go directly to the Case Resolution Room during the three-day event. You will need your Form 2848 and a completed Nationwide Tax Forum Case Data Sheet to schedule the appointment.

This program is for client cases only. Please note that we won’t be able to assist you with any personal tax case or any case in which you have a vested interest. If you have an issue with a case of this nature, please contact the IRS or the Taxpayer Advocate Servicedirectly.

Hope to see you at the 2018 IRS Nationwide Tax Forum.

The 2018 Tax Forum schedule is:

Location	Dates
Atlanta, GA	July 10-12
National Harbor, MD (DC area)	July 17-19
San Diego, CA	August 7-9
Chicago, IL	August 21-23
Orlando, FL	September 11-13

Have a question? Contact Nina Olson and the National Taxpayer Advocate Team.

Your comments are always welcome!