Office of the Chief Counsel
Attention: Michael Desmond
Internal Revenue Service (I.R.S.)
1111 Constitution Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20224
RE: Immediate Guidance Requests for Taxpayers Affected by COVID-19
Dear Mr. Desmond,
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce appreciates the opportunity to provide feedback in light of the outbreak of the 2019 Coronavirus (COVID-19). The recently enacted Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was a vital step in providing relief. Chamber members are already implementing many measures provided in the CARES Act, but to maximize the intended benefit they will need additional guidance in certain areas.
While the Chamber anticipates weighing in on additional issues, our initial focus is on recommendations which can immediately increase liquidity and cash flow so businesses can maintain operations and keep employees on payroll. The Chamber strongly urges the Treasury and the IRS to quickly address the three issues highlighted below.
- Timing for Refund Requests
- Upcoming Tax Filings and Payments
- Fiscal Year Taxpayers
The Chamber appreciates the opportunity to provide this feedback and urges swift action on these items to ensure taxpayers can continue operations and maintain payrolls. We strongly urge Treasury and the IRS to continue to work closely with the business community during this time of uncertainty to ensure as little disruption as possible. We look forward to working with you to address these issues and help implement other pro-growth tax relief. Thank you for your time and attention.
Sincerely,
Caroline L. Harris
Cc: David J. Kautter, Assistant Secretary, Office of Tax Policy, U.S. Department of the Treasury
