August 26, 1999 | Read Time: 1 minute
The Internal Revenue Service expects to soon end a “lull in publication” of advice explaining how it interprets and applies federal laws that govern non-profit groups, says Marc Owens, director of the revenue service’s Exempt Organizations Division.
In a speech at the American Bar Association’s annual meeting in Atlanta, Mr. Owens acknowledged that the I.R.S. has had difficulty freeing up employees to produce revenue rulings and other written advice that the tax agency has previously produced. One reason, he said, is that the revenue service has had to concentrate on preparing for publication its annual training textbook for agents.
Another hold-up, he said: Treasury Department officials, who must sign off on revenue rulings before they are released, have been busy with work related to tax legislation that Congress drafted this summer.
But Mr. Owens said that he expects charities will notice an increase in published advice this fall, even as the I.R.S. implements a major reorganization. “I’m hoping that we’ll still be able to resume the flow of guidance,” he said.
