Treasure Coast members of FLARA, the Florida Alliance For Retired Americans, had their monthly appointment at the local office of Congressman Brian Mast (CD 18, FL) in Port St. Lucie. They meet regularly as representatives of the extensive 'over 65' constituents in his district. Nearly 1/3 residents in CD 18 are retired ! While the focus of the organization is the preservation, protection, and expansion of Social Security as we know it, as other issues arise, members try to stay informed and bring relevant information back to the group.
With new changes in the tax laws, Constituent Services Coordinator Derek Hankerson, invited representatives of the IRS to address the retirees followed by a Q & A. Linda Burkman is a public servant with a long career at the IRS who now serves as a Congressional Liaison in the region. Translated, that means when a constituent has a tax question, she advises the lawmaker on how to respond so as to be in compliance with all applicable tax laws. She was accompanied by Theresa Locatti-Bildik who is a Taxpayer Advocate. Her job is to assist taxpayers IRS problems and navigate the quagmire of government rules, regulations and agencies. There is no fee for that service; they operate independently. Additionally her agency provides an annual report to Congress on the ten most serious problems facing the IRS and Congress is required by law to address all of them. These problems may include things done by the IRS which have a negative impact to a significant number of taxpayers. The most commonly identified problems in recent years has been a lack of funding to effectively implement changes in tax laws made by Congress and an antiquated computer system that relies on 1960's technology. Other recently identified issues have been widespread Identity Theft and the misuse of non-profit status.
The IRS has tried to help seniors in a variety of small and meaningful changes such as LARGER PRINT materials. www.irs.gov has a wealth of information, forms, FAQ's and resources to help you. Handouts were provided on a variety of topics and advice on how to avoid fraud was shared.