Partnership for Tax Compliance

Each year nearly $30 billion in federal taxes remain uncollected due to staff resource challenges at the IRS. As a result, Congress created the Private Debt Collection (PDC) Program to leverage private sector best practices to expand the customer service efforts of the IRS, bring in higher levels of uncontested tax revenue to bolster the U.S. Treasury and provide the IRS with revenue to hire more internal staff.

The controversial PDC Program suffered two false starts after opponents shut it down. As an improved, third iteration of the PDC Program began in 2017, the debt collection companies serving the program sought to build a coalition to represent and promote the successes of this innovative public-private partnership.

The companies hired Westfourth Communications to build the coalition – a name, brand identity, messaging platform, website, social media properties and collateral materials – and launch an ongoing media relations and social media campaign in support of the PDC Program. The effort also includes development and distribution of a robust set of informational materials to support lobbying efforts on Capitol Hill.

Results:

The Partnership for Tax Compliance launched in 2018, successfully beginning an advocacy effort in support of the PDC Program. Before the coalition, press coverage of the PDC Program was negative. Today, a more balanced perspective is represented in the media – achieved by providing stakeholders with fresh data, accurate context and additional information demonstrating the benefits of the program.

Advocacy efforts targeting Members of Congress, their staff, tax advocates and reporters at outlets like Bloomberg, Politico, the Washington Post, Tax Notes, Accounting Today and Government Executive are reflecting accurate and positive news about the program, while attracting an influential set of followers on Twitter and LinkedIn.