Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Legal aid and clients urge changes to DOR offer-and-settlement process, say $5,000 threshold and opaque denials trap taxpayers
Summary
Attorneys from Greater Boston Legal Services and community clinics told the Revenue Committee that Massachusetts’ Department of Revenue offers-and-settlement process is effectively inaccessible for low‑income taxpayers, citing a reported $5,000 practical minimum, subjective denials, lack of written standards and limited appeals.
Attorneys from Greater Boston Legal Services and client witnesses told the Joint Committee on Revenue that the state’s offer‑and‑settlement process leaves many low‑income and vulnerable taxpayers with no realistic path to resolve tax liabilities. Laura Brown, a tax attorney with three decades of experience, said the Department of Revenue’s practice is “the wild west” with subjective requirements, repeated document requests and denials that lack written standards.
Brown and other advocates told the committee that the department’s practice effectively requires a $5,000 deposit for many offers, a barrier for low‑income taxpayers: “The $5,000 cover…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
