Marc Gerson's article, "Technically Speaking: The Art of Tax Technical Corrections," which was originally published on March 5, 2007, was selected by Tax Notes to be re-published as part of a special series that the publication is running, featuring valuable contributions from prominent members of the tax community, to celebrate its 40th anniversary.

Changes to the Internal Revenue Code are being made at a remarkable pace. The President's Advisory Panel on Federal Tax Reform noted that "since 1986, there has been nearly constant tinkering -- more than 100 different acts of Congress have made nearly 15,000 changes to the tax code." Given the frequency of the changes, the accelerated legislative process in which the changes are typically enacted, and the inevitable complexity resulting from the changes, technical corrections legislation has become routine. Thus, technical corrections have taken on an increased importance in tax legislation. Despite that increased profile, however, little has been written about the technical correction process.

In this article, Marc Gerson discusses the technical correction process and provides guidance in pursuing appropriate technical corrections.