The Center for Taxpayer Rights is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to furthering taxpayers’ awareness of and access to taxpayer rights. We accomplish our mission, in part, by educating the public and government officials about the role taxpayer rights play in promoting compliance and trust in systems of taxation.
The Center for Taxpayer Rights is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to furthering taxpayers’ awareness of and access to taxpayer rights and deepening their understanding of the role taxation plays in achieving the common good.
We accomplish our mission through individual and systemic advocacy. By providing free legal assistance to US low income taxpayers and technical support to low income taxpayer clinics in the United States and internationally, we help ensure tax administrations are fair and just. By conducting outreach and education to low income taxpayers, including those who speak English as a second language, we help ensure taxpayers understand their rights and responsibilities. We advocate for systemic change by connecting with national and international policymakers, advocates, and academics on issues impacting taxation and taxpayer rights; filing amicus briefs and participating in high-impact litigation in important tax cases; and promoting transparency through freedom of information act requests and other research.
Through these and other initiatives, we help ensure tax systems promote and support the economic inclusion and wellbeing of all.
SAVE THE DATE!
12th International Conference on Taxpayer Rights
— AI, Data Analytics, Automated Decision-Making & Taxpayer Rights—
16 to 18 June, 2027
IRS RETURN PREPARER STRATEGY
— Report on the 2025 Filing Season Mystery Shopping Visits —
During the 2025 filing season, the Center for Taxpayer Rights and its partners conducted “mystery shopping” visits to non-credentialed return preparers in six states. We now report on the results of these visits, along with responses to our nationwide survey of low income taxpayers about their return preparation practices and our pilot preparer education campaign in Washington DC. The report provides an overview of the IRS’s imposition of preparer penalties and its failure to track complaints of return preparer misconduct.
DEFINING FAMILY
— Global Lessons for Improving Access to Tax Benefits
for Families and Children —
— Materials and Agenda from the December 2025 Conference are now available —
Learn about our most recent Tax Chat! series
IRS RETURN PREPARER STRATEGY
View Videos & Materials for the Tax Chat! series
TRANSFORMING TAX ADMINISTRATION:
Race & Equity in Tax Administration:
How Issues of Racial Justice are Fundamental to a
Rights-Based Tax System
View the Videos & Materials
for the Conference & Tax Chat! series
TRANSFORMING TAX ADMINISTRATION:
Toward an Effective, Trusted, & Inclusive IRS
A 2023 series exploring how to transform the IRS into a modern tax agency
View the Videos & Materials
for
REIMAGINING TAX ADMINISTRATION:
State Tax Practices & Taxpayer Rights
A 2022 Workshop series exploring taxpayer rights at the state level
Reimagining Tax Administration:
Social Programs Through the Tax Code
The Center for Taxpayer Rights recently convened an online workshop series,
Reimagining Tax Administration: Social Programs through the Tax Code.
This series of workshops explored the challenges faced by taxpayers and IRS alike
when the tax system is used to deliver social benefits to low income and other under-resourced populations.
Taxpayer Rights Digest
The Taxpayer Rights Digest is a biweekly (or so) email newsletter that shares information about developments and events relating to taxpayer rights around the globe. We welcome readers’ suggestions and updates about topics and current developments. Please send your suggestions and comments to us at info@taxpayer-rights.org.
International Conference on Taxpayer Rights
We organize and convene the annual International Conference on Taxpayer Rights (ICTR), in partnership with host organizations around the world.
The 9th International Conference on Taxpayer Rights will be held on June 4 through 6, 2024, in Antwerp, Belgium, hosted by the DigiTax Centre at the University of Antwerp. The theme for this year’s conference is Toward a Digital Taxpayer Bill of Rights.
Low Income Taxpayer Clinic Support Center
The Center for Taxpayer Rights is a federally-funded Low Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC) under IRC section 7526. As an LITC, we provide free representation to low income taxpayers in disputes with the Internal Revenue Service and in the federal courts. We also file amicus briefs in cases that involve issues of importance to low income taxpayers.
We also support and encourage the expansion of Low Income Taxpayer Clinics (LITCs) in the United States and internationally through the Low Income Taxpayer Clinic Support Center.
LITCs provide much-needed pro bono representation to low income individuals in tax disputes. As a result of a federal grant program administered by the Taxpayer Advocate Service, there are over 130 LITCs in the US today. The idea is catching on, with LITCs operating in Australia, and soon expanding to UK and elsewhere.
The LITC Support Center not only represents low income taxpayers but also operates to provide technical assistance to LITCs in the US and abroad, identifying opportunities for joint advocacy and funding, and promoting pro bono volunteer opportunities, especially with small and rural LITCs. The Support Center also operates LITC Connect, a “dating app” that connects LITCs with tax professionals interested in volunteering with LITCs.
We also accomplish our mission through these initiatives and activities:
Taxpayer Advocates and Ombuds
We provide technical support for the establishment and expansion of taxpayer advocate and ombuds offices as independent voices of taxpayer rights and systemic change.
Systemic Advocacy
We submit comments on proposed U.S. Treasury regulations and submit amicus curiae briefs in federal and state tax cases raising significant issues pertaining to taxpayer rights and the Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TBOR).
Educational Materials for Schools and Taxpayers
We develop materials, including a Taxpayer Receipt and primary and secondary school curricula modules, to educate the public about the function of taxes and taxpayer rights in civil society.
Training for Tax Administrators
We develop training programs for tax administration officials as a component of leadership training, focusing on tax procedure and tax administration principles, taxpayer rights, and tax compliance research, with examples and instructors from around the world.
Support our work in advancing taxpayer rights.
The Center for Taxpayer Rights is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation organized under the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia.