Us Congress 2023-2024 Regular Session

Us Congress House Bill HB360

Introduced
1/13/23  

Caption

Require Employees To Uniformly Return Now Act or the RETURN Act This bill prohibits Internal Revenue Service (IRS) employees from teleworking during the period beginning five business days after the enactment of this bill and ending on the date on which the IRS certifies that the processing backlog for 2020 income tax returns has been eliminated. The Department of the Treasury may not obligate additional funds for the IRS until the date on which the IRS certifies the backlog has been eliminated.

Impact

If passed, the RETURN Act would significantly impact IRS operations by enforcing a return to in-person work for employees who were previously allowed to telework. This is a response to the identified need for increased efficiency in processing tax returns, which was heavily impacted by the pandemic. The bill restricts the IRS from obligating additional funds until the backlog is addressed, essentially linking financial resources to operational effectiveness. Supporters argue that this is essential for improving the speed of tax return processing and restoring taxpayer confidence in the IRS's ability to manage tax affairs effectively.

Summary

House Bill 360, known as the RETURN Act, aims to address the backlog of 2020 tax returns at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) by mandating that IRS employees return to the office. The bill specifically prohibits any telework for applicable IRS employees starting five business days after its enactment and continues until the IRS certifies that the backlog has been fully eliminated. This legislative action reflects ongoing concerns regarding delays in tax processing resulting from the pandemic and operational adjustments made by the IRS in response to COVID-19.

Conclusion

Overall, House Bill 360 represents an urgent legislative response to a significant issue facing the IRS and its ability to manage tax returns. As discussions continue, understanding the balance between operational needs and employee considerations will be critical in shaping the bill's final form and future implications for IRS workforce management.

Contention

The bill's implications raise several points of contention among legislators and stakeholders. Supporters emphasize the necessity of in-person operations to tackle the backlog and improve service levels for taxpayers, while critics may raise valid concerns regarding employee rights and the effectiveness of such mandates in addressing operational inefficiencies. Additionally, there might be discussions about the appropriateness of temporarily removing telework options, which some might argue provides necessary flexibility and safety for IRS employees.

Companion Bills

US HB474

Related bill Require Employees To Uniformly Return Now Act or the RETURN Act This bill prohibits Internal Revenue Service (IRS) employees from teleworking during the period beginning five business days after the enactment of this bill and ending on the date on which the IRS certifies that the processing backlog for income tax returns for all taxable years has been eliminated. The Department of the Treasury may not obligate additional funds for the IRS until the date on which the IRS certifies that the backlog has been eliminated.

US SB155

Related bill RETURN Act Require Employees To Uniformly Return Now Act

Previously Filed As

US HB474

Require Employees To Uniformly Return Now Act or the RETURN Act This bill prohibits Internal Revenue Service (IRS) employees from teleworking during the period beginning five business days after the enactment of this bill and ending on the date on which the IRS certifies that the processing backlog for income tax returns for all taxable years has been eliminated. The Department of the Treasury may not obligate additional funds for the IRS until the date on which the IRS certifies that the backlog has been eliminated.

US HB203

No Hires for the Delinquent IRS Act This bill prohibits the hiring of additional Internal Revenue Service (IRS) employees until the Department of the Treasury publicly issues a written certification that the IRS does not employ any individual who has a seriously delinquent tax debt (i.e., an outstanding tax debt for which a notice of lien has been filed in public records).

US HB161

Prioritizing Troops Over Tax Collectors Act of 2023 This bill establishes the rate of basic pay for a member of the uniformed services at the minimum amount of $31,200. It transfers unobligated amounts made available to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 for enforcement activities to pay for the increase in basic pay. The bill also prohibits the IRS from hiring additional employees until the increase in the rate of basic pay is implemented.

US HB200

Federal Freeze ActThis bill bars pay raises for federal employees for one year and requires reductions in the number of employees at each federal agency.The bill prohibits agencies from increasing the basic pay of any employee for one year after enactment. Also in that first year, the bill prohibits each federal agency from increasing the number of its employees beyond the number employed on the date of the bill's enactment, except that the agency may increase such number when making appointments to positions related to law enforcement, public safety, or national security.Additionally, the bill requires reductions in force such that within three years of the bill's enactment the number of employees at each agency is 5% lower than it was on the date of the bill's enactment.

US HB1535

Eliminating Backlogs Act of 2023

US SB155

RETURN Act Require Employees To Uniformly Return Now Act

US HB117

This bill prohibits any entity that receives specified COVID-19 relief funds from mandating COVID-19 vaccines for its employees. An entity that violates this prohibition must return the funding it received.

US HB339

SALT Marriage Penalty Elimination Act This bill increases from $10,000 to $20,000 the amount that a married couple filing a joint tax return may deduct as state and local taxes (thus eliminating the tax effect known as the marriage penalty with respect to the deduction).

US HB224

Inaction Has Consequences Act This bill withholds the salaries of Members of a chamber of Congress that has not passed each of the annual appropriations bills before the beginning of the fiscal year, beginning with FY2024. Salaries are released on the earlier of (1) the date on which the chamber of Congress passes the bills, or (2) the last day of the Congress.

US HB488

Stop the Nosy Obsession with Online Payments Act of 2023 or the SNOOP Act of 2023 This bill modifies requirements for third party settlement organizations to eliminate their reporting requirement with respect to the transactions of their participating payees unless they have earned more than $20,000 on more than 200 separate transactions in an applicable tax period. A third party settlement organization is the central organization that has the contractual obligation to make payments to participating payees (generally, a merchant or business) in a third party payment network. This reverses a provision in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 that lowered the reporting threshold to $600 with no minimum on the number of transactions.

Similar Bills

No similar bills found.