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10 Ways the IRS Could Be More Taxpayer-Friendly in the New Year

Let's face it...the IRS isn't the most popular government agency out there. It's not just that they take your money. They also have a (undeserved?) reputation for tough stances on deductions and credits, aggressive tax collectors, poor customer service and generally being difficult if you happen to disagree with them.

Wouldn't it be nice to have a kinder, gentler IRS? You'd still have to pay your taxes, but at least you wouldn't have to deal with some of the IRS's rougher edges anymore. Well, guess what... Congress is kicking around a few ideas that would make the IRS a little more taxpayer-friendly. There's bipartisan support for improving the IRS, so we may actually see some of them enacted.

Here are the 10 best proposals from a bill recently passed by the House that could improve the IRS's bad reputation (in no particular order).

Open Up the Independent Review Process

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You claim a sizable deduction on your tax return, but an IRS auditor says you're not eligible or that the amount

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