FedEx Ground drivers new BFF: John Tuzynski? - May 17, 2007
Are FedEx Ground drivers about to have a new best friend forever?
Meet John Tuzynski. He is the IRS Employment Tax Operations chief.
According to the BNA report for May 16, 2007:
"It's safe to say if you thought worker classification cases were increasing, you are going to see a nice increase in our fiscal 2008 plan," Tuzynski said. "This will be a major area of emphasis for us."
IRS has entered into a partnership with the Labor Department, the National Association of State Workforce Agencies, the Federation of Tax Advisers, and workforce agencies that administer state employment and unemployment taxes in California, Michigan, New Jersey, and North Carolina.
"[W]hat that means is that I am sending training materials to state workforce agencies, and we are training some of their examiners," he said. "We are sending them leads and they are sending us leads. We are also sending them information on cash payment reporting, and some day we see this extending out to all 50 states."
Don't be surprised if we start seeing the words "Tuzynski" and "tax gap" and "FedEx" in the same news stories with increasing frequency.
The BNA article also introduces us to Janine Cook:
Janine Cook, branch chief (Tax Exempt/Government Entities) in the IRS Office of Chief Counsel, said IRS becomes concerned when employers force workers into signing contracts stating that they are independent contractors, without benefits, in order to get work.The states are already on the case. Congress is on the case. And now the IRS is increasing on the case. Tax cheats beware."These cases are not always that on the fence," she said. "Where we get concerned is when someone is putting on the contractor label, making the worker sign this document if they want to work. They think the contract rules the tax classification and it doesn't," she said.