The Department of Treasury and the IRS are looking for volunteers to serve on a series of citizen advocacy panels which will act as independent watchdogs over the IRS and will make recommendations for improving the quality of IRS customer service.

One of the first IRS Citizen Advocacy Panels to be established will be comprised of representatives from the Brooklyn Tax District which includes Kings, Queens, Nassau and Suffolk counties. The function of the panels will be to identify problems and recommend improvements. Once the problems have been identified, the panels will be responsible for bringing it to the attention of the appropriate IRS official and monitoring any changes. The panels will also direct individual taxpayers who need assistance to the appropriate office.

Anyone interested in applying to be on the panel must be able to commit to approximately 100 hours per year, be a U.S. citizen with a residential or business address in the Brooklyn Tax District, be up-to-date with their taxes and pass an FBI name check.

Booz, Allen and Hamilton, Inc, the independent consultants who will be selecting the candidates, will review all applications and interview the most qualified candidates.

Although anyone can apply, the treasury department and the IRS are looking for people who have experience in writing and presenting proposals, representing a community, state or region or working with people from diverse backgrounds. People who have strong oral, written and listening skills and work well in a team are also encouraged to apply.

Massapequans interested in serving as a panel member should call 1-888-449-1071 to apply.