Taxpayer Assistance and Simplification Act of 2008

The Taxpayer Assistance and Simplification Act of 2008 (H.R.5719) was a bill in the 110th Congress "to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to conform return preparer penalty standards, delay implementation of withholding taxes on government contractors, enhance taxpayer protections, assist low-income taxpayers, and for other purposes." (Official title.)

Current status


Bill summary

 * Repeals the authority of the IRS to enter into debt collection contracts with private organizations (Sec. 14).


 * Requires that amounts paid out of a health savings account must be substantiated in order to be exempt from income tax (Sec. 17).


 * Requires that foreign persons or companies working under a U.S. government contract be treated as U.S. employers for tax purposes (Sec. 18).


 * Removes cellular phones from the list of items an employee must include as income if the employee utilizes them for personal use (Sec. 3).


 * Delays the application of a law requiring a withholding of three percent from the payment of any U.S. government contract from December 31, 2010 to December 31, 2011 (Sec. 4).


 * Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to notify a taxpayer of any suspected identity theft or criminal charges of identity theft (Sec. 13).


 * Requires that, in cases where a taxpayer may be eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit but has not previously filed for it, the Secretary of the Treasury must notify the taxpayer that they may be eligible (Sec. 8).

Key votes

 * Vote to pass a bill that makes changes to the practices of the Internal Revenue Service and various provisions of tax code.



Supporters

 * American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
 * American Institute Of Certified Public Accountants
 * National Treasury Employees Union

Opponents

 * American Benefits Council
 * Americans for Tax Reform
 * Credit Union National Association
 * Evolution Benefits
 * National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors
 * National Taxpayers Union
 * The HSA Coalition