Charles P. Rettig

Charles P. Rettig
49th Commissioner of Internal Revenue
Assumed office
October 1, 2018
President Donald J. Trump
Preceded by John Koskinen
Personal details
Born (1956-11-18) November 18, 1956
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Spouse(s) Tam Rettig[1]
Children 4 including 2 stepsons
Alma mater University of California, Los Angeles (B.A.)
Pepperdine University (J.D.)
New York University (LL.M. in Taxation)

Charles P. Rettig (born November 18, 1956)[2] is Commissioner of Internal Revenue. On September 12, 2018, the United States Senate confirmed Rettig's nomination to be IRS commissioner for the term expiring November 12, 2022.[3][4] Rettig was sworn in on October 1, 2018.[5][6]

Commissioner

On February 13, 2018, Rettig's nomination was received in the Senate and referred to the Committee on Finance.

During his confirmation hearing before the Senate Finance Committee on June 28, 2018, Rettig "told lawmakers he would ensure that the agency is 'impartial and non-biased from top to bottom' and follows the law."[7] The committee approved his nomination on July 19, 2018.

Rettig's nomination was confirmed by the full Senate on September 12, 2018. In a news article published on the day of Rettig's confirmation, the Wall Street Journal wrote, "Rettig will run an agency struggling with flat or shrinking budgets, aging computer systems and increased demands from Congress. Last year, the IRS audited 0.62% of individual tax returns, the lowest rate since 2002. In 2017, the agency had 19% fewer employees than in 2010."[8]

In 2016 the American College of Tax Counsel wrote to the Congressional leadership stating, "We have watched the agency struggle with significant decreases in funding that have caused staffing and morale issues. In our practices, we have seen the negative impact this has had on our clients, the taxpayers."[9]

For fiscal year 2018, the U.S. federal government spent $782 billion more than it brought in. It's estimated that in fiscal year 2019 the loss will be close to $1 trillion.[10] Rettig's annual budget at the IRS is a relatively miniscule $11 billion. In fiscal year 2019 the IRS plans to cut an additional 2,200 employees.[11]

Following Rettig's confirmation, Secretary Mnuchin wrote, "I look forward to Chuck’s leadership and experience, which will improve taxpayer service, protect hardworking taxpayers, and ensure the proper, impartial, and efficient implementation of the U.S. Tax Code."[12] Rettig will need to do this with 76,832 employees while Amazon, the Seattle-based tech company, has 566,000 employees.[13]

Secretary Mnuchin administered the oath of office to Rettig on October 1, 2018.

Rettig was a partner at the Beverly Hills tax law firm of Hochman, Salkin, Rettig, Toscher & Perez, P.C.,[2][1][14] "known in the industry as a controversy firm" according to the Los Angeles Times.[15] He worked at the firm for over 36 years. The firm has 11 attorneys and was established in 1960.[16] In his ethics agreement dated March 9, 2018, Rettig stated: "I am a shareholder of the law firm of Hochman, Salkin, Rettig, Toscher & Perez, PC. Upon confirmation, I will withdraw from the firm, and the firm will change its name to 'Hochman, Salkin, Toscher & Perez, PC.' I currently have an ownership share in the firm, and I will receive the value of that ownership share, as determined at the time of my withdrawal, before I assume the duties of the position of Commissioner."[17]

Rettig held leadership roles in a number of professional organizations. He was President of the American College of Tax Counsel (ACTC); was Chair of the 4,000+ member Taxation Section of the State Bar of California from 1999-2000;[2] was the longtime Chair of the UCLA Extension Annual Tax Controversy Institute; and most recently served as Vice-Chair, Administration, for the 12,000+ member Taxation Section of the American Bar Association.[18]

In 2010-2011, Rettig was appointed by the IRS to serve as Chairman of the IRS Advisory Council (IRSAC) for the last year of his three-year term.[19] The IRSAC's primary purpose is to provide an organized public forum for senior IRS executives and representatives of the public to discuss relevant tax administration issues.[20]

In his home state of California, Rettig was a longtime member of the California FTB Advisory Board.[21] He was designated a Certified Specialist in Taxation Law by the State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization and also designated a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law by the State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization.[22] He is a Past-Member of the Board of Trustees for the California CPA Education Foundation.

Rettig is active in numerous civic and philanthropic activities. He co-founded the UCLA Extension Vets Count Scholarship Fund, designed to provide scholarships for active duty and retired military personnel who are working to realize their career goals in tax, accounting, wealth management, and other areas of the financial services industry as well as basic coursework for personal growth in budgeting, financial literacy, and investing.[23] Also, according to his official IRS bio,[1] he's "active in the Wounded Warrior Project, Advance Guard." The Advance Guard is a charitable "monthly giving program" in which participants donate a minimum of $19 per month by check or credit card.[24] According to Rettig's law firm biography on the website of his former firm, he's an associate member of the Academy of Magical Arts.[25]

In his article published in 2017 by the Journal of Tax Practice and Procedure entitled "A Lesson in Accountability and IRS Enforcement," Rettig wrote, "Practitioners roundly support the IRS efforts with respect to responsible enforcement and efficient tax administration. Without question, tax enforcement is vital to the nation. Without question, Congress should be heard by the IRS when legislators raise concerns about the tax gap, and the IRS should be heard by Congress when seeking resources to appropriately address the tax gap. In that mix, however, the rights and interests of taxpayers should never be overlooked. It is also vital to tax enforcement that the issues of each taxpayer be given individual consideration and the rights of each taxpayer are forever safeguarded."[26]

In an article published in 2009 by Forbes entitled "Taxes: How to Cheat Like a Pro," written by Janet Novack and Ashlea Ebeling, Rettig offered some advice: "If you’ve been naughty and are selected for a face-to-face audit, send a representative in your place, advises Charles Rettig, a Beverly Hills tax litigator. If the IRS agent asks a loaded question–say, about cash receipts–and a taxpayer lies, he has just committed the felony of making a false statement to a federal official. 'If he asks me a tough question, my answer is ‘I’ll find out,' Rettig confides. Plus, he says, thanks to currency transaction reports banks and others must now file, the agent is more likely than ever to know you’re lying. To be extra safe, send a lawyer instead of a CPA; what you tell a lawyer has more protection in the event the case turns criminal."[27]

Education

Rettig earned a BA in economics from UCLA, a JD at the Pepperdine University School of Law and an LL.M. in Taxation at the NYU School of Law.[2][22][23]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Commissioner Charles P. Rettig". www.irs.gov. October 1, 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service: Who Is Charles Rettig?". www.allgov.com.
  3. ↑ "Roll call vote on confirmation of Rettig nomination (IRS)". www.democrats.senate.gov.
  4. ↑ "PN1620 — Charles P. Rettig — Department of the Treasury". www.congress.gov.
  5. ↑ Jagoda, Naomi (October 2, 2018). "New IRS chief sworn in". www.thehill.com.
  6. ↑ Nevius, Alistair M. (October 2, 2018). "Charles Rettig sworn in as new IRS commissioner". www.thetaxadviser.com.
  7. ↑ Laura Davison & Lynnley Browning (June 28, 2018). "IRS Nominee Says He's Never Had a Client Under Audit for a Decade". www.bloomberg.com.
  8. ↑ Rubin, Richard. "Charles Rettig wins confirmation as IRS commissioner". www.marketwatch.com.
  9. ↑ "ACTC letter to Congressional-Leadership" (PDF). www.actconline.org.
  10. ↑ "Deficit soars to $782 billion in 2018". www.thehill.com.
  11. ↑ "IRS Defends Budget That Would Cut More Than 2,200 Full-Time Jobs". www.govexec.com.
  12. ↑ "Statement by Secretary Mnuchin on Senate Confirmation of Chuck Rettig as IRS Commissioner". www.treasury.gov.
  13. ↑ Schlosser, Kurt (February 1, 2018). "Amazon now employs 566,000 people worldwide — a 66 percent jump from a year ago". www.geekwire.com.
  14. ↑ "Newsletter" (PDF). www.americanbar.org.
  15. ↑ Koren, James Rufus (February 13, 2018). "The Beverly Hills attorney set to lead the IRS likes magic tricks — he'll need a few to run the agency". www.latimes.com.
  16. ↑ "Law Firm Office Information for Hochman, Salkin, Rettig, Toscher & Perez, P.C. - Martindale.com". www.martindale.com.
  17. ↑ "Ethics Agreement". www.oge.gov. 2018-03-09. Retrieved 2018-09-24.
  18. ↑ "Message from the Institute Chair - UCLA Extension Business, Management, and Legal Programs". business.uclaextension.edu.
  19. ↑ "Charles Rettig appointed IRSAC Chairman" (PDF). www.irs.gov.
  20. ↑ "Internal Revenue Service Advisory Council Facts". www.irs.gov.
  21. ↑ "Advisory Board Members | California Franchise Tax Board". www.ftb.ca.gov. 2018-05-21. Retrieved 2018-09-06.
  22. 1 2 "Martindale bio for Charles P. Rettig". www.martindale.com.
  23. 1 2 "Taxing Times" (PDF). www.ncpefellowship.com. 2018.
  24. ↑ "Advance Guard Monthly Giving Program". www.woundedwarriorproject.org.
  25. ↑ "Our Firm- Our Attorneys- Charles P. Rettig". www.archive.org.
  26. ↑ Rettig, Charles P. (October–November 2017). "A Lesson in Accountability and IRS Enforcement" (PDF). CCH Inc. Retrieved September 23, 2018.
  27. ↑ Janet Novack & Ashlea Ebeling (February 12, 2009). "Taxes: How to Cheat Like a Pro". Forbes. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
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