National Taxpayer Advocate Plans Study of Federal Ombuds

In her annual report to Congress, Nina Olson, the National Taxpayer Advocate, outlined an ambitious set of objectives for the 2009 fiscal year. The report, which is not subject to any review by the IRS, Treasury or OMB, reveals that the National Taxpayer Advocate has surveyed federal external and internal Ombuds and plans further analysis in the coming fiscal year. Already, the National Taxpayer Advocate has made a number of critical observation about existing federal Ombuds programs:

• Most federal Ombuds do not have independent counsel, budgetary control or reporting relationships and thus lack sufficient independence;
• Many Ombuds have administrative obligations or cannot obtain information which impair actual or perceived impartiality; and
• Most Ombuds rely on their agency to respond to FOIA requests which may dissuade visitors.

In addition to further study, "the National Taxpayer Advocate and her staff will work with other federal agency ombudsmen to promote standards for these offices and seek to incorporate those standards into a Federal Agency Ombudsman Act." (NTA FY 2009 Objectives.)