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OCTOBER 2, 2000

TAXES

The IRS Gears Up to Help
Its small-biz education staff is set to zoom from 100 now to 1,300 by 2002

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You've got a friend at the IRS -- or at least someone who knows you pretty well. As part of a reorganization, the service is opening a new unit this month just for small businesses.

Good news? After all, this is the same agency that in recent years prompted a flood of complaints from entrepreneurs about overzealous and arbitrary enforcement. Relax. The IRS says the restructuring's goal isn't enforcement but rather to strengthen education, and make it easier for small companies to get information. They're hoping to help businesses with less than $5 million in assets that are less likely to have lawyers and accountants in-house who understand these problems.

The IRS small-biz education staff is scheduled to grow to 1,300 workers by 2002, up from just 100 now. How well will it work? Some like Mike Mares, a board member of the American Institute of CPAs, say the reorg ignores the underlying problem -- a hugely complex tax code. "There are still going to be a lot of small businesses who may not understand it," says Mares.

If you want to give it a shot, call 202 622-0600. We got through on the first try -- none of those legendary long waits on hold, at least for now. Eventually, however, the new unit will serve about 7 million businesses, or 5,385 per education staffer.