It is a rare that one can say that something exciting for tax whistleblowers has occurred with the proposed budget. However, today is that day. On March 25th, Senator Wicker submitted amendment S.AMDT.620, which is co-sponsored by Senator Grassley. According to Senator Wicker’s press release, “This amendment calls for the IRS to speed up the award process for those who come forward with information on tax evasion.”

The amendment was formally proposed today, March 27th, and agreed to in the Senate by unanimous consent. The Senate agreed to the budget resolution, with amendments, by a vote of 52 to 46 at 3:19 AM. We will be following the legislation as the budget process continues.

The language of the amendment reads:

SA 620. Mr. WICKER (for himself and Mr. Grassley) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the concurrent resolution S. Con. Res. 11, setting forth the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2016 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2017 through 2025; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the appropriate place, insert the following:

SEC. ___. DEFICIT-NEUTRAL RESERVE FUND TO EXPEDITE AWARDS UNDER THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE WHISTLEBLOWER PROGRAM.

The Chairman of the Committee on the Budget of the Senate may revise the allocations of a committee or committees, aggregates, and other appropriate levels in this resolution for one or more bills, joint resolutions, amendments, amendments between the Houses, motions, or conference reports relating to the processing of award submissions, which may include the Internal Revenue Service whistleblower program, by the amounts provided in such legislation for that purpose, provided that such legislation would not increase the deficit over either the period of the total of fiscal years 2016 through 2020 or the period of the total of fiscal years 2016 through 2025. 

Lynam Knott