Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change Academic Research Fellow Dr. Rita Green has been appointed to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (TAP). According to the news release, the TAP is a federal advisory committee charged with listening to taxpayers, identifying issues, and making suggestions to improve IRS service and customer satisfaction. Oversight and program support for the TAP is provided by the Taxpayer Advocate Service, an independent organization within the IRS that helps resolve taxpayer account problems and makes administrative and legislative recommendations to mitigate systemic problems.

Members of the TAP work on a variety of issues that impact taxpayers in the key areas where the IRS and the public interact the most. Members also serve as a conduit for bringing grassroots concerns raised by the taxpaying public to the attention of the IRS.

Dr. Green has been part of the faculty at the Crews School of Accounting at the University of Memphis for the last five years following her tenure as state specialist for family financial management at Mississippi State University-Extension Service.  She holds a doctorate in higher education and her dissertation research explored financial wellness for consumers seeking bankruptcy protection. Her interdisciplinary research interests include consumer economics and personal financial empowerment.

Read the full announcement here.