As the IRS Stakeholder Liaison area manager for California, I want to thank you for your past support and ask for your continued partnership with your local stakeholder liaisons and me. SL is proud to be in our seventh year as the practitioners’ gateway to the IRS. We have had a busy year, holding practitioner events, conducting national webinars, and establishing web-based tax centers.
Practitioners provided our local SLs with many suggestions on how to improve IRS systems. We actively worked on these suggestions and were able to implement many of them. This partnership strengthens our mutual commitment to taxpayer compliance.
SL is committed to getting you the information you need. While we do not answer tax law questions or have access to your clients’ tax accounts, we can steer you in the right direction.
How SL can help you navigate the IRS
Be assured that IRS.gov has more than just forms and publications. You’ll find the latest news, online tools, research services, guidance and contact information.
The best way to stay up to date with the IRS is to take advantage of our free products and services. Subscribe to e-News for Tax Professionals for weekly news briefs. We also offer tools so visitors to your website can link directly to “tax centers” and other “widgets”, making it easy to find frequently-used web pages.
We make it easy to get up-to-date information from IRS experts. Join our free national webinars, or check out IRS Live where tax professionals discuss tax topics with IRS leaders. Submit questions during the original airing or visit our IRS Video Portal to view archived webinars, video clips of tax topics, and audio archives of national phone forums.
Don’t forget the IRS.gov Spanish counterpart IRS en Español and our new Multilingual Gateway for translated information. If you need a translator when meeting with IRS employees just ask for an interpreter. Over-the-Phone Interpreter Services (OPI) is available when taxpayers have limited English proficiency.
How to keep up-to-date with the new return preparer regulations
David R. Williams leads the new IRS Return Preparer Office implementing the new requirements for tax return preparers. Visit our Web page for New PTIN Requirements for Tax Return Preparers to keep current on implementation. There’s also Frequently Asked Questions and Answers for PTIN. For additional PTIN information, contact the IRS Tax Professional PTIN Information line at 877-813-7846, available Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. CST.

Check out Many Tax Return Preparers Required to Use IRS e-file Beginning in 2011 for information on the new e-file rules and learn how to become an authorized e-file provider.
How you can help your clients and colleagues
Tell us when you see a problem or have a suggestion to improve our processes. We introduced the Issue Management Resolution System (IMRS) four years ago and have received more than a thousand IMRS issues. Check out some of the successes in our IMRS report on IRS.gov.
There are many ways you can assist us to further our partnership. Help us reach more practitioners by hosting joint events or webinars. Include IRS information in your newsletters or post an IRS tax center or web link on your website. You can even volunteer to teach a Small Business Tax Workshop in your community and share what you learn.
Finally, stay in touch with your local SL. You may also contact me directly at 510-637-3133 or James.R.Kinsey@irs.gov, or if your local chapters’ members need assistance, have them contact their chapter’s local Stakeholder Liaison - refer to the local liaison chart at the end of this document.
Filing season can be a challenging and stressful time, but together we can make it easier. Use our free tools, products and services; and raise your issues and concerns through your local stakeholder liaison.
Sincerely,
James R. Kinsey
Stakeholder Liaison Area Manager, Western Area
James.R.Kinsey@irs.gov

IRS Contact List for Practitioners
Getting Ready for the 2012 Tax Filing Season
Communications
Tax Information for Tax Professionals – Information Center for tax professionals.
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IRS Video Portal - Find video clips of tax topics, archived versions of live panel discussions and webinars, as well as audio archives of national phone forums.
Outreach Corner – Subscribe to have access to ready-to-use articles, widgets, audio/video materials, and publications/flyers for you to use.
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Contacting Us
Your local Stakeholder Liaison office establishes relationships with organizations representing small business and self-employed taxpayers. They provide information about the policies, practices and procedures the IRS uses to ensure compliance with the tax laws. To establish a relationship with us, use this list to find a contact in your state.
Tools for You
Want to find the pages your need on IRS.gov more easily? Basic Tools for Tax Professionals has a comprehensive list of what you need to help prepare your clients’ tax returns and information on representation. Electronic IRS Online Tools will help you and your clients conduct business quickly and safely – electronically.
Help Us Resolve Problems
With your help, we have identified hundreds of large and small issues that were getting in the way of efficient tax administration. Continue to contact us when you or your clients notice something isn’t working. The Issue Management Resolution System gets to the bottom of the problem. Check out some of the issues practitioners have raised, what we’ve done to resolve them and what we are currently working on.

CSTC Chapter
IRS Office IRS Stakeholder Liaison Phone Number e-Mail Address
Central Valley, Fresno
Keith Kershner
213-435-8755
Keith.D.Kershner@irs.gov
East County San Diego
Gina Lauridsen
619-615-7768
Regina.M.Lauridsen@irs.gov
Greater Long Beach, Los Angeles
Sharon Sanders
213-576-3912
Sharon.Sanders@irs.gov
High Desert, San Bernardino
Amy Smith
909-388-8234
Amy.M.Smith@irs.gov
Inland Empire, San Bernardino
Amy Smith
909-388-8234
Amy.M.Smith@irs.gov
Los Angeles
Sharon Sanders
213-576-3912
Sharon.Sanders@irs.gov
North County San Diego
Katie Williams
619-615-7771
Katie.M.Williams@irs.gov
Orange County Laguna Niguel
Nancy LeBlanc
949-389-4074
Nancy.M.LeBlanc@irs.gov
Sacramento
Marc Zine
916-974-5281
Marc.J.Zine@irs.gov
San Diego
Katie Williams
619-615-7771
Katie.M.Williams@irs.gov
San Francisco, Oakland
Jennifer Henrie-Brown
510-637-2199
Jennifer.Henrie-Brown@irs.gov
San Gabriel Valley, Los Angeles
Lisa Hamilton
626-312-5144
ext 3088
Lisa.A.Hamilton@irs.gov
San Jose, Oakland
Jennifer Henrie-Brown
510-637-2199
Jennifer.Henrie-Brown@irs.gov
South Bay San Diego
Katie Williams
619-615-7771
Katie.M.Williams@irs.gov
South Orange County, Laguna Niguel
Nancy LeBlanc
949-389-4074
Nancy.M.LeBlanc@irs.gov
Temecula, San Bernardino
Amy Smith
916-974-5281
Amy.M.Smith@irs.gov