With its budget in crisis and facing cuts each year, the IRS has attempted to reduce costs where possible.  One idea that the IRS is pushing to reduce costs is to hold Appeals conferences remotely through either conference calls or video conferences. Is this a good idea? In short, the answer is no.

The IRS recently changed the Internal Revenue Manual section on IRS Appeals conferences.  The revised manual section states that the Service will no longer automatically offer in-person appeals conferences, and that the IRS prefers teleconferences and video conferences over in-person meetings in order to reduce travel expenses and expedite the settlement of cases.

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