Opening Statement of the Hon. William J. Coyne, a Representative in Congress from the State of Pennsylvania

Hearing on the 2002 Tax Return Filing Season and the IRS Budget for  Fiscal Year 2003

April 9, 2002

Once again this year, the Subcommittee on Oversight is holding a hearing on the current tax return filing season and the pending IRS budget.  I thank Subcommittee Chairman Houghton for conducting this important annual oversight review of the Internal Revenue Service.

More than 137 million tax returns will be filed during the 2002 tax return filing season, which ends in six days.  During the filing season, the IRS will issue over 100 million tax refunds and answer over 100 million telephone calls from taxpayers seeking assistance.  I want to commend IRS Commissioner Rossotti and all IRS employees for a job well done.

Of particular interest to this Subcommittee is the proposed budget for the IRS for fiscal year 2003.  The Administration's IRS request is $10.4 billion for funding general operations, plus additional amounts to continue systems modernization and earned income tax credit compliance initiatives.  We need to make sure that such funding is adequate.  I look forward to the views of the witnesses scheduled to testify before us today.

With Commissioner Rossotti planning to finish his term and leave the IRS at the end of the year, I would hope that we could use today's hearing to solicit his advice about what the Congress needs to do to keep the IRS “on track” in implementing the IRS reform legislation of 1998.

I want to also commend the Commissioner on a job well done.  His outstanding service as Commissioner of the IRS has set a high mark against which future Commissioners will be judged.  I want to thank Mr. Rossotti and wish him the best in his future endeavors.