Alliantgroup Joins Senator Cornyn At Houston Manufacturer

April 16, 2012 - PRLog -- HOUSTON (April 11, 2012) — In advance of Tax Day, U.S. Senator John Cornyn today announced the introduction of comprehensive legislation to assist small business owners and taxpayers in cutting through IRS red tape. Senator Cornyn’s Small Business Taxpayer Bill of Rights Act of 2012 would lower compliance burdens for taxpayers, strengthen taxpayer protections, compensate taxpayers for IRS abuses, and improve taxpayer access to the tax court.

“With Tax Day fast approaching, Americans are being reminded of just how complex, illogical, and inefficient our federal tax system really is. Small business owners face an especially crushing burden of paperwork, but they lack the key financial and legal resources that multinational corporations do,” said Senator Cornyn in a press conference at Forge USA, a locally owned family manufacturing business in Houston.

“Now more than ever, with an economy struggling to recover, we need to ensure our small businesses are spending more time creating jobs and opportunity and less time dealing with the IRS and an archaic tax code,” notes the Senator.

Senator Cornyn was joined by several business leaders, including alliantgroup Vice Chairman and former IRS Commissioner Mark Everson; alliantgroup National Managing Director Dean Zerbe who is the former Tax Counsel to the U.S. Senate Finance Committee; and alliantgroup Director of Tax Controversy, John Dies.

“I’m especially pleased that Senator Cornyn’s legislation is focusing on a sector of the economy that is too often taken for granted – small businesses. Small businesses grapple with high costs of tax compliance, but do not have teams of in-house tax lawyers. They face a different reality than the Fortune 500 when under an IRS examination. Senator Cornyn’s bill would provide meaningful tools to small business owners that will help them lower the costs and burdens of tax compliance across the board,” said Mark Everson.

Forge USA is a metal forging manufacturer in Houston for more than 50 years. Forge USA owners endured significant financial burdens and a tough audit experience – a process that is often unfriendly to taxpayers. Forge USA worked closely with alliantgroup, a leading provider of specialty tax services.

“Successful outcomes in audits or appeals are gratifying, but a continued focus on fairness of the process with the taxpayer in mind, will result in a more efficient administration of the Revenue Code, and a much better experience for those who find themselves in meetings with the taxman.  We are encouraged to see efforts such as these, which have been designed to create a more balanced tax system,” said John Dies.

alliantgroup was asked by Senator Cornyn's team for thoughts and input on his Taxpayer Bill of Rights, and worked with CPA partners to formulate ideas and suggestions for the Senator's consideration, which are reflected in some of the provisions of the Senator's bill.

From alliantgroup’s Dean Zerbe: “Improving the rights of small business owners in dealing with the IRS is the best idea since combining peanut butter with jelly. As the IRS is placing more focus on auditing small businesses, it is important that Congress speak to maintaining the right balance between service and enforcement.  These common sense proposals by Senator Cornyn will be a good help to the hundreds of businesses we represent every day in examinations by the IRS.”

Other attendees included incoming Chairman of the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Marc Rodriguez; as well as representatives from the National Federation of Independent Businesses, the Texas Association of Business, and the Greater Houston Partnership.

alliantgroup, LP is the nation's leading tax specialty services provider, working with CPA firms and their clients to ensure companies receive the full benefit of federal and state tax incentives and credits for activities such as R&D, exporting, hiring, and energy-efficient design -- aimed at creating jobs and spurring innovation in America. alliantgroup is based in Houston, Texas, with offices across the country. www.alliantgroup.com or 800.564.4540