IRS names new members to e-tax committee

The Internal Revenue Service named a chairman and selected five new members for the Electronic Tax Administration Advisory Committee, the agency said Nov. 6.

Robert Meighan, vice president of consumer advocacy at Intuit’s TurboTax, agreed to lead the committee in 2007. He has been a committee member since September 2005 and has worked more than 25 years in the tax preparation industry, as a certified public accountant and as a customer advocate at TurboTax, according to a press release.

The new members, each serving a three-year term beginning this month and ending in November 2009, include:

• Chris Beach, director of the Filing Methods Bureau of California’s Franchise Tax Board.
• Sharon Gray, a director at Balance Consulting, a firm helping banks with tax reporting compliance.
• Timothy Hubbs, president and chief executive officer of Drake Enterprises, a tax software provider.
• Joan Ruff, assistant vice president of knowledge development at H&R Block.
• Marquetta White, assistant director of taxpayer services at the Arizona Department of Revenue.

The group serves as a public forum for the discussion of electronic tax administration issues and supports the increase of electronic interactions between tax professionals and the IRS.

“The members’ advice is critical to our continued progress,” said Bert DuMars, director of IRS Electronic Tax Administration.