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Advisory

IRS Appoints 7 New Members of ETAAC

Committee members include state tax officials, consumer advocates, cybersecurity and information security specialists, tax preparers, tax software developers and representatives of the payroll and financial communities.

Sep. 28, 2021

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The Internal Revenue Service has selected seven new members for the Electronic Tax Administration Advisory Committee (ETAAC).

Established by statute in 1998, the ETAAC is a public forum for the discussion of issues in electronic tax administration. The committee’s primary goal is to promote paperless filing of tax and information returns. ETAAC members work closely with the Security Summit, a joint effort of the IRS, state tax administrators and the nation’s tax industry to fight identity theft and refund fraud.

Committee members include state tax officials, consumer advocates, cybersecurity and information security specialists, tax preparers, tax software developers and representatives of the payroll and financial communities.

The following individuals, grouped by the communities they represent, have been appointed to serve three-year terms on the committee beginning in September 2021:

Payroll Industry

  • James Paille, Ann Arbor, Michigan – Paille works for Thomson Reuters and has over 40 years of experience in the payroll industry, including front line, treasury and management experience. Paille is a member of the board of directors of the American Payroll Association and the Independent Payroll Providers Association. He is also an active member of the National Automated Clearinghouse Association, National Association of Computerized Tax Processors and the IRS Reporting Agents Forum.

Tax Professionals

  • Jihan Jude, Orlando, Florida – Jude is an attorney and counselor at law with the Davey Law Group in Maitland, Fla. She previously worked with ComplyRight, where she focused on business employment tax compliance, information return reporting requirements from the IRS and Social Security Administration and labor law legal issues. Jude also reviewed company guidance for business clients who used ComplyRight’s tax solutions (paper and electronic filing of tax and information returns and proprietary tax filing software).

State Government

  • Peter Barca, Kenosha, Wisconsin – Barca is Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Revenue and an active member and officer of the Federation of Tax Administrators Board of Trustees. Barca has served in the Wisconsin State Assembly, the United States House of Representatives and the United States Small Business Administration. He was also a business owner and President of Aurora Associates International.
  • Vernon Barnett, Pike Road, Alabama – Barnett began his service as Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Revenue in May 2017. He has worked in state government for 25 years and served as a Deputy Solicitor General, Legal Advisor to the Governor, Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Corrections and Executive Counsel of the Department of Environmental Management. Barnett is current Chair of the Multistate Tax Commission and a member of the Federation of Tax Administrators Board of Trustees.
  • Mark Godfrey, Jefferson City, Missouri – Prior to joining Ernst & Young’s Digital Tax Administration – Government Services practice, Godfrey served as Taxation Division Director at the Missouri Department of Revenue. During that time, the Taxation Division team implemented an integrated tax system and underwent a reorganization to capitalize on processing efficiencies. Godfrey is an attorney and a certified public accountant.
  • Jonathan Lunardini, Loomis, California – Lunardini is Section Manager of the California Franchise Tax Board’s (FTB) Identity Theft/Fraud Program. He has been a member of the Security Summit since its inception in 2015, and has participated in its Information Sharing, Authentication and Financial Services working groups. Lunardini engages with the ISAC as a participating member of the metrics sub-team and also participates in the National Automated Clearinghouse Association and the National Association of Computerized Tax Processors. In his role with the FTB, Lunardini has partnered with the IRS, other states and industry partners on nationwide anti-fraud efforts.
  • Terri Steenblock, Forest Lake, Minnesota – Steenblock is Compliance Director at the Federation of Tax Administrators. She supports state revenue agencies across the United States by providing compliance outreach, education and support to tax administrators focused on audit, collections, criminal investigations, fraud and electronic filing. Prior to working at FTA, she spent 15 years at the Minnesota Department of Revenue where she held various roles including serving as an Assistant Commissioner.

Committee Leadership for 2021-2022

  • Courtney Kay-Decker, Of Counsel with Lane & Waterman LLP, will serve as chair of the ETAAC.
  • Jared Ballew, Government/Industry Liaison with Drake Software, will serve as vice chair.