Larry Gibbs commented on how members of the American Bar Association's Section of Taxation can help the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) identify and address challenges facing the agency. "Currently, there is no dearth of challenges to our tax system," Gibbs said in his May 10 remarks as he accepted the Tax Section's Distinguished Service Award. "There is a widespread belief that our tax law needs to be reformed, but it is unclear if and how that will take place. It is quite clear, however, that no tax reform can be meaningful or long lasting unless and until we find a way to address the challenges that our unsustainable fiscal situation presents today." Gibbs said events of the past year "sound a clear warning that our tax administration system is under enormous pressures. These pressures must be addressed -- not only to support our tax system but also to re-establish the public's respect and confidence in the Internal Revenue Service, which is the public face of our Federal tax system."

Gibbs said his hope for the future is that the Tax Section and its members will continue a long tradition of providing leadership in the Federal tax area. "My hope is that the Section -- its leaders and its members -- will help identify and develop ways to address many of the current challenges facing the Internal Revenue Service. The increasing workload and decreasing resources of tax administration are taking a toll on the IRS and, in turn, on our tax system," he said. "The Tax Section can provide information and feedback to the IRS about problem areas that are developing, about the causes of various problems that the IRS, taxpayers, and tax practitioners are encountering and about constructive suggestions for solutions to these problems."