It Is Election Season and Your Vote Counts

By the time you read this, the midterm elections will likely already be over. Whatever the outcome, the next Congress will have a critical impact on tax administration and the enrolled agent (EA) profession. As new legislators take office in early 2023, one of the first things the Senate will have to do is confirm the next Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner.

It has been widely speculated that the nominee will have a background in corporate leadership and change management. Whoever the nominee is, the current political climate means the process will be contentious and highly publicized. The next commissioner certainly has a heavy agenda ahead of him or her. With the $80 billion spend plan due and the very legitimacy of the agency at stake, the pressure is on this person to bring the Service into the modern era.

Of course, the National Association of Enrolled Agents (NAEA) will be poised to work with the new IRS leadership, and we look forward to the opportunity to continue to provide feedback and solutions. NAEA members can also help communicate to their legislators that it is important that the IRS improves its service, enhances its technology, and works with key stakeholders to ensure a fair and efficient tax administration system. Also important is educating legislators, especially the new ones, on what an enrolled agent is and why they are uniquely qualified to work with Congress and the IRS on key issues.

It is also time once again to select the members who are going to be the next leaders of the NAEA. The NAEA Board of Directors is a dedicated and hardworking volunteer group who are charged with leading the organization into the future. The Nominating Committee is tasked with vetting and selecting the nominees who are best suited to take on those responsibilities; however, they are limited by the number of members who were nominated or self-nominated. It was a very small list this year.

So, I ask you to put aside your opinions on the choices, or lack thereof, this year and consider the larger issue. That issue is why do we not have more qualified and willing volunteers? If the NAEA is a member-led organization, then it needs to encourage and attract more members willing to step into leadership positions. If you have considered getting more involved, what has held you back? If you are dissatisfied with the direction the association is going, or would like to see the organization more quickly adapt to a changing environment, then what can you do to support that? If you care about the EA profession and think the association has a pivotal role in the protection, support, and promotion of the credential then how can the organization best do that now and in the future?

The association can only survive with a strong membership base. The NAEA will thrive with a strong leadership that is guiding the members and the organization into the future.