FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, CONTACT: (202) 225-1721
February 3, 2000
FC-18
Congressman Bill Archer (R-TX), Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means, today announced that the Committee is requesting written public comments for the record from all parties interested in the study and recommendations released on January 28, 2000, by the Joint Committee on Taxation concerning disclosure of Federal tax returns and return information, including disclosures relating to tax-exempt organizations.
BACKGROUND:
The Internal Revenue Service Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998 (P.L. 105-206) required the Joint Committee on Taxation and the U.S. Department of the Treasury to conduct separate studies on the present-law provisions regarding disclosure of Federal tax returns and return information, including whether the public interest would be served by greater disclosure of information relating to tax-exempt organizations. The studies were to include legislative and administrative recommendations and were due on January 22, 2000. On January 28, 2000, the Joint Committee on Taxation released its three volume analysis, Study of Present-Law Taxpayer Confidentiality and Disclosure Provisions, JCS-1-00, which includes numerous recommendations concerning both general disclosures and disclosures relating to tax-exempt organizations. That study is available at the Joint Committee's internet site at http://www.house.gov/jct or may be purchased at the Government Printing Office. The Committee anticipates requesting further comment once the U.S. Department of the Treasury has submitted its required study.
DETAILS FOR SUBMISSION OF WRITTEN COMMENTS:
Any person or organization wishing to submit a written statement for the printed record should submit six (6) single-spaced copies of their statement, along with an IBM compatible 3.5-inch diskette in WordPerfect or MS Word format, with their name, address, and comments date noted on label, by the close of business, Wednesday, March 15, 2000, to A.L. Singleton, Chief of Staff, Committee on Ways and Means, U.S. House of Representatives, 1102 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515.
FORMATTING REQUIREMENTS:
Each statement presented for printing to the Committee by a witness, any written statement or exhibit submitted for the printed record or any written comments in response to a request for written comments must conform to the guidelines listed below. Any statement or exhibit 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 statements and any accompanying exhibits for printing must be submitted on an IBM compatible 3.5-inch diskette in WordPerfect or MS Word format, typed in single space and may not exceed a total of 10 pages including attachments. Witnesses are advised that the Committee will rely 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. A witness appearing at a public hearing, or submitting a statement for the record of a public hearing, or submitting written comments in response to a published request for comments by the Committee, must include on his statement or submission a list of all clients, persons, or organizations on whose behalf the witness appears.
4. A supplemental sheet must accompany each statement listing the name, company, address, telephone and fax numbers where the witness or the designated representative may be reached. This supplemental sheet will not be included in the printed record.
The above restrictions and limitations apply only to material being submitted for printing. Statements and exhibits or supplementary material submitted solely for distribution to the Members, the press, and the public during the course of a public hearing may be submitted in other forms.