A panel of “regular people” has issued its first annual report, detailing complaints from Midwesterners about the Internal Revenue Service. John Boehm is chairman of the Midwest Citizen Advocacy Panel or “CAP,” which covers Iowa, Wisconsin and Nebraska.He says the top problems with the tax collection agency involve its toll-free phone number — people can’t get through, are forced to wait too long or they get wrong answers to questions. Boehm is confident his panel will be able to get some problems with the I-R-S corrected.The Midwest CAP has held public meetings across the three states during the past year and has received thousands of tips over a toll-free phone number. The CAP is a 12-member panel of people from all three states. Boehm is a lawyer in Lincoln, Nebraska. He says some people are suspicious of his group and doubt their complaints will be taken seriously. Boehm says this group is different because it’s made up of ordinary citizens who’re trying to makethings better.Boehm says there are already some positive changes being made due to the CAP. Some I-R-S offices in Iowa hadn’t offered walk-in taxpayer service before and that changed last year. For more information, surf to www.improveirs.org or call 888-912-1227.
