Questions and Answers for IRS Employees

About the Announcement of TAC Closings

 

 

Timetable

 

When does the IRS want the TACs to close?

 

The IRS wants to have all the reductions take effect by September 30, 2005, before the start of the new fiscal year.

 

Employee Impact

 

What will happen to the impacted employees?

 

There is much information the IRS has yet to share and without the answers to many of NTEU’s questions, it is impossible to tell you exactly what will happen. Below are a number of questions and answers about what actions NTEU will take at the bargaining table.

 

With respect to the negotiations over the TAC closures, what has occurred?

 

At this point, the IRS has only given NTEU notice of its intent to reorganize the TAC structure.  The agency has not provided NTEU with an Article 19 notice of RIF.  However, that doesn’t mean the IRS won’t provide a RIF notice and begin bargaining at a later date as it rolls out this plan for closures.

 

What can we expect if the agency does provide NTEU with a notice of RIF?

 

Should NTEU receive an Article 19 RIF notice, we will take all steps necessary to ensure that the IRS offers all mitigation strategies that are available, including: 

 

  • A full six months of CTAP eligibility (which would provide TAC employees with priority selection for other Treasury positions);

 

  • Reassignment preference which provides employees with priority job consideration for months prior to the issuance of CTAP notices;

 

  • Early out (VERA) and buyout (VSIP) opportunities;

 

  • Indirect buyouts (enhanced job swapping opportunities so that employees who want to retire can swap with employees who want to continue working for the IRS);

 

  • Training opportunities for other positions at the IRS;

 

  • Waivers of qualifications for IRS positions; and

 

  • Assistance in job searches.

 

 

What about the pending reorganization of TACs?  What can we expect to happen?

 

While we have not been briefed on the details of the Field Assistance Reorganization, we are in the process of appointing NTEU leaders to serve on the bargaining team.  Once we have been briefed on the details, NTEU will seek feedback from our impacted employees and develop proposals to address how you will be treated during any transition.  Examples of things we will negotiate for include:

 

  • Sufficient transition period to allow enough time for effective mitigating strategies to avoid the need to conduct a RIF;  

 

  • Early outs (VERA) and buyouts (VSIP);

 

  • Voluntary reassignments to continuing TACs;

 

  • Voluntary reassignments to other IRS positions; and

 

  • Moving expenses for reassignments outside of the commuting area.

 

Congress

 

Does Congress need to approve this plan before the IRS can close TACs?

 

Not really. The IRS has informed Congress of its plan as part its budget request for FY 2006. Congress gives tacit approval to the plan if the President’s budget request, which calls for overall cuts in customer service of $134 million, is approved with no changes. However, Congress can also stop the IRS from moving forward by increasing the agency’s customer service funding or mandating that the IRS keep all the TACs open.

 

Other TACs

 

How did the IRS decide to close these specific TACs?

 

The IRS referred to a model that NTEU has yet to be briefed on. IRS Commissioner Everson has testified on the model, but only very generally. In hearings before House and Senate committees, both TIGTA and the Taxpayer Advocate have expressed strong reservations about the model. NTEU has many questions about the model as do many members of Congress. NTEU will aggressively be pursuing these questions.

 

What are the chances of more TACs being closed?

 

The IRS wants to cut $134 million out of its customer service budget for FY 2006, but closing the announced TACs will only save $45–$55 million. The agency has yet to detail where the remainder of the cuts will come from, so additional rollbacks in customer service could be on the table. NTEU believes it is critical that we gain support from Congress and the public for ongoing operation of the TACs.

 

 

Action Needed

 

What can I do to help keep these TACs open and others from being marked for closing?

 

First and most important is to contact your representative and two senators and ask them to stop the IRS from moving forward. You know how valuable the TACs are and how many taxpayers we help each year. Make sure your elected representatives know this as well. NTEU is providing sample letters to Congress for you to use.

 

Also, get involved in your chapter’s activities around this and work in your community to get signatures on the petition. The people most affected by the closing will be taxpayers, and they should be given an opportunity for their voices to be heard.

 

If you are not a member of NTEU, then join. There is strength in numbers, and we can be effective if we work together and present a unified voice to IRS management, Congress, and the public.

 

Where can I get more information?

 

Updated information will be available to NTEU members on the NTEU web site. Go to www.nteu.org and go to the “Members Only” button on the left-hand side. If you haven’t yet registered for the web site, you will need to do that first. Registration is free and only available to NTEU members.

 

 

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