Aug. 5, 2015 – Jay Miller wants to get the word out: The Low Income Taxpayer Clinic is available to low-income residents who need assistance with IRS tax matters.
“The clinic is a valuable resource for low-income taxpayers who have disputes with the IRS. We’re busy, but we currently are not turning anyone away,” said Miller, who has volunteered with the clinic for years.
Miller has been a tax attorney since 1977. He worked for the tax division of the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., and later as vice president and tax counsel for Northwestern Mutual Insurance in Milwaukee. He retired from the company in 2009, having served there for 20 years.
287.10 Hours
For years Miller has been a valuable volunteer for the LITC. In 2014, he volunteered 287.10 hours for the clinic – well above the 50 hours per year recommendation in SCR 6.1.
“He handles very challenging federal tax controversies and gets great results for clients,” said Maggie Niebler-Brown of Legal Action of Wisconsin, the organization that sponsors the clinic.
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His volunteer work at the clinic is an extension of his career, representing those who dispute the amount of taxes they owe or who cannot pay their taxes.
“We often are able to work out a compromise settlement where the IRS agrees to accept a lower amount,” Miller said.
Tax Law Expert
Miller likes the advocacy role and representing clients in cases with a beginning, an end, and a firm conclusion.
“In law school, when other students got excited about torts, tax law was one of the few areas I enjoyed,” Miller said. “Tax law is incredibly complicated, so – maybe even more than other areas of civil law – people feel up against a wall. They just don’t know what to do.”
A particularly enjoyable part of his volunteer work is when he is able to tell his clients that they are entitled to a refund they didn’t know about.
“To our clients, a refund of any size is helpful, because they can really use the money,” he said.
Miller lives in Whitefish Bay where he is a trustee on the village board. He and his wife, Donna, have two adult children.
Available to Help
At LITC, attorneys, a certified public accountant, and enrolled agents provide free help to low-income taxpayers from any Wisconsin county on such IRS matters as audits, appeals, collection, failure to file returns, earned income credit, filing status and dependents, and independent contractors/employees. They do not assist in criminal tax matters or tax return preparation for the current year, nor answer tax questions over the phone.
“Several people in our office have direct employment experience with the IRS,” Miller said. “We would like to get the word out that we are here and available to help.”
Anyone needing assistance can call LITC at (414) 274-3400 or toll-free at (855) 502-2468.
