WASHINGTON, D.C. | June 21, 2021— Last week, National Whistleblower Center (NWC), Taxpayers Against Fraud (TAF), Project on Government Oversight (POGO), and Government Accountability Project (GAP) wrote to Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) in support of their recently introduced bill, the IRS Whistleblower Program Improvement Act of 2021.
NWC Executive Director Siri Nelson said, “It is powerful to see leading whistleblower advocacy organizations come together to voice their support for critically-needed protections and incentives for whistleblowers. We are all grateful for Senator Grassley and Chairman Wyden’s leadership and dedication to strengthening whistleblower protections and safeguarding American taxpayers. We urge Congress and the Biden Administration to pass and sign this bill, continuing the success of the IRS Whistleblower Program.”
The June 16th joint letter commends the introduction of this critical bill and encourages the implementation of core IRS Whistleblower Program reforms that would incentivize tax whistleblowers to report to the highly successful IRS Program – resulting in billions of additional tax dollars being collected.
The supported reforms to the IRS Whistleblower Program include dedicated funding for the Whistleblower Office, clarification on award payments, de novo and anonymous access to Tax Court, and improved reporting. These elements are consistent with NWC’s recommendations for effective whistleblower programs, which include anonymity, awards, funded programs, and reporting.
In a release announcing the bill’s introduction, Senator Grassley quotes Nelson who says, “By adopting these important reforms to the successful IRS whistleblower awards program, Congress will provide a much-improved avenue for whistleblowers who wish to come forward to report evidence of tax fraud.” Nelson additionally notes NWC’s full support of the bill and gratitude for Senator Grassley’s continued leadership in protecting whistleblowers.
For more information, please contact Nick Younger at nick.younger@whistleblowers.org.
