–Announcing New Workshop Series–
Reimagining Tax Administration:
Social Programs Through the Tax Code
I wanted to share with you a free online workshop series the Center for Taxpayer Rights is holding this fall, called Reimagining Tax Administration: Social Programs Through the Tax Code. This series explores how the US tax system can better administer family and worker benefits such as the Child Tax Credit (CTC) and Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) . Each workshop session focuses on a different aspect of this challenge, from understanding the limits of present-day IRS return processing, to the characteristics of the populations these refundable tax credits are targeted to serve, to the cultural change required as a traditional revenue collection/enforcement-oriented tax agency acquires a second mission, namely, distributing social benefits.
The free online workshops are held Monday mornings throughout October and November, from 10:00 am to noon, Eastern time. The topic for the workshop coming up for this Monday, 18 October, is Design Theory and Administrative Burden. We have a great group of panelists:
- Jim Greiner, Abdul Latif Jamal Poverty Action Lab, Harvard University, Cambridge MA
- Professor Pamela Herd, Georgetown University, Washington DC
- Professor Donald Moynihan, Georgetown University, Washington DC
- Emily Schmitt, Office of Planning Research and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington DC
They will be discussing how systems, processes, and programs can be designed to reduce administrative burden, improve access to services, and remove barriers for participation through better program and communication design, including self-help initiatives.
You can access the full agenda for the workshop series here, and you can register for the workshop series by clicking the button below.
We have also posted videos of the first two workshops on the Center’s YouTube channel (nudge, nudge, you should subscribe to our channel so you are notified when we upload new videos ….). In our first video, Nuts and Bolts of IRS Processing, we discuss with senior IRS officials how IRS processes tax returns and how refunds can be delayed and get caught up in IRS identity theft or refund fraud filters, or duplicate claims for the child, or any number of other issues. This is necessary viewing for anyone working with taxpayers who are trying to navigate through the IRS, including those signing up for the advance CTC.
Our second video is a primer on the US social safety net, and in particular the characteristics of the EITC and CTC population. Moderated by Professor Les Book of Villanova Law School, there is a wealth of information here, presented by Magot Crandall-Hollick of Congressional Research Service, Professor Hilary Hoynes of University of California-Berkeley, and Elaine Maag of the Tax Policy Center. I have watched this video several times and I learn something new each time I watch.
So please join us this Monday and future Mondays on this important journey, Reimagining Tax Administration. This online workshop series has been generously funded by the Rockefeller Foundation. We hope to see you there!
All the best,
Nina
Nina E. Olson
Executive Director