Clinton Officials Announce Plan to Restructure IRS
WASHINGTON — The Clinton administration announced a series of steps Tuesday that it said will lead to improvement in the operation of the Internal Revenue Service--but which critics said were meant to head off wider changes that are expected to be proposed by a special commission next month.
The initiatives, outlined by Vice President Al Gore and Treasury Secretary Robert E. Rubin, include creation of a task force of Treasury officials and IRS employees to look for ways to improve “customer service.â€
They also feature a number of governance proposals for the agency, including a fixed, five-year term for the IRS commissioner and requiring the Treasury secretary and deputy secretary to report to Congress twice a year.
The plan seeks to create two boards. One would oversee the IRS and rule on major decisions, much as a board of directors functions in a private company, while the other would consist of outsiders who would advise the Treasury secretary and Congress.
Rep. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), co-chairman of the National Commission on Restructuring the Internal Revenue Service, said the administration has done little more than go through his panel’s findings and pick out the most palatable ones. The panel’s report is to come out at the end of June.
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