WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today announced the selection of three new members and a chairman to the Electronic Tax Administration Advisory Committee (ETAAC).

ETAAC provides an organized forum for discussion of issues in electronic tax administration and supports the goal of increasing electronic transactions between tax professionals and the IRS.

The new members are:

• Kevin A. Richards of Springfield, Ill., is the manager of the Electronic Commerce Division at the Illinois Department of Revenue. Richards, who is in his 25^th year at the department, has managed the Electronic Commerce Division for the last 16 years. The Electronic Commerce Division is responsible for the development, marketing, implementation and management of the electronic filing and payment programs at the department, including both individual income tax and business tax applications. The Electronic Commerce Division also encompasses the Electronic Funds Transfer Office and all cash management operations at the Illinois Department of Revenue. In fiscal year 2014, the Electronic Commerce Division oversaw the processing of more than 16 million electronic returns and payments totaling over $36 billion in deposits. Richards is also the president of the local chapter of the Association of Government Accountants.
• Stephanie Salavejus of Newport News, Va., is vice president with Peninsula Software (PenSoft). Salavejus is responsible for software solutions and product requirements for clients. She has 28 years of experience in electronic filing of tax reports and the development of software and is a member of the American Payroll Association and the National Association of Computer Tax Processors.
• Kelli Wooten of Boston is a director with Markit | CTI Tax Solutions and of counsel for Burt, Staples & Maner LLP. She advises clients on information reporting and withholding issues for the Foreign Account Tax Account Compliance Act (FATCA). Wooten also develops processes and procedures for completing and e-filing the new Form 8966 as well as Forms 1042-S and 1099.

The new chairman is:

• Jim Buttonow of Greensboro, N.C., has been elected by the members to serve as the Chairman of ETAAC for 2014-2015. Buttonow currently directs tax practice and procedure services for H&R Block. He is a CPA, author and instructor in tax administration.

Each June, the ETAAC submits a report to Congress reporting on the progress of the IRS’s electronic tax initiatives. ETAAC was created in 1998 by the IRS Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998 (RRA 98).

Many people give to charity each year during the holiday season. Remember, if you want to claim a tax deduction for your gifts, you must itemize your deductions. There are several tax rules that you should know about before you give. Here are six tips from the IRS that you should keep in mind:

1. Qualified charities. You can only deduct gifts you give to qualified charities. Use the IRS Select Check tool to see if the group you give to is qualified. Remember that you can deduct donations you give to churches, synagogues, temples, mosques and government agencies. This is true even if Select Check does not list them in its database.
2. Monetary donations.  Gifts of money include those made in cash or by check, electronic funds transfer, credit card and payroll deduction. You must have a bank record or a written statement from the charity to deduct any gift of money on your tax return. This is true regardless of the amount of the gift. The statement must show the name of the charity and the date and amount of the contribution. Bank records include canceled checks, or bank, credit union and credit card statements. If you give by payroll deductions, you should retain a pay stub, a Form W-2 wage statement or other document from your employer. It must show the total amount withheld for charity, along with the pledge card showing the name of the charity.
3. Household goods.  Household items include furniture, furnishings, electronics, appliances and linens. If you donate clothing and household items to charity they generally must be in at least good used condition to claim a tax deduction. If you claim a deduction of over $500 for an item it doesn’t have to meet this standard if you include a qualified appraisal of
   the item with your tax return.
4. Records required.  You must get an acknowledgment from a charity for each deductible donation (either money or property) of $250 or more. Additional rules apply to the statement for gifts of that amount. This statement is in addition to the records
   required for deducting cash gifts. However, one statement with all of the required information may meet both requirements.
5. Year-end gifts.  You can deduct contributions in the year you make them. If you charge your gift to a credit card before the end of the year it will count for 2014. This is true even if you don’t pay the credit card bill until 2015. Also, a check will count for 2014 as long as you mail it in 2014.
6. Special rules.  Special rules apply if you give a car, boat or airplane to charity. For more information visit IRS.gov.

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Additional IRS Resources: 

• Tax Topic 506, Charitable Contributions
• Publication 526, Charitable Contributions
• Publication 561, Determining the Value of Donated Property
• Form 8283, Noncash Charitable Contributions
• Form 1098-C, Contributions of Motor Vehicles, Boats, and Airplanes