Markets Wired

IR-2019-204, December 11, 2019

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today announced a process has been formalized with the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) that puts in place procedures between the IRS and TTB to process claims for whistleblower awards under internal revenue laws that are administered and enforced by TTB.

The IRS and TTB signed a Memorandum of Understanding on December 3, 2019, making these new procedures possible.

“This is another important step in our efforts to make the Whistleblower Program as effective as possible,” said Lee D. Martin, Director of the IRS Whistleblower Office. “The IRS Whistleblower Office is always looking to do more for whistleblowers.”

The new procedures enable a partnership with TTB to provide a consistent approach for claims for a whistleblower award administered under Internal Revenue laws.

TTB is a bureau of the Treasury Department and administers provisions of the Internal Revenue laws that impose a federal excise tax on distilled spirits, wine, beer, tobacco products, cigarette papers and tubes, as well as firearms and ammunition.

“The whistleblower program gives us another tool to fight for the level playing field that our law-abiding industry members expect and deserve,” said Nicholas Colucci, TTB’s Assistant Administrator, Field Operations. “We appreciate this opportunity to partner with our colleagues at the IRS.”

Since 2007, the IRS Whistleblower Office made awards totaling more than $811 million based on the collection of more than $5 billion in back taxes, interest and penalties.

For more on the Whistleblower Office go to IRS.gov.