A University of Iowa Tippie College of Business lecturer was recently selected to serve on the IRS’s Electronic Tax Administration Advisory Committee.

Robert Gettemy will be one of eight new members serving three-year terms on the committee, which promotes electronic filing of tax returns and advising solutions to combat identity theft and tax refund fraud.

John Lipold, chief of tax pro partnerships and advisory groups at the IRS, wrote in an email to The Daily Iowan that the Electronic Tax Administration Advisory Committee was established in 1998.

The IRS holds an “open season” for applications to committee membership, Lipold wrote.

“The IRS looks for members who can ably represent taxpayers and consumers, state tax administrators, tax software providers, financial firms and others involved or affected by electronic tax administration,” he wrote.

Gettemy said a colleague recommended he apply for the position. He previously served as chief operating officer at the tax preparation company TaxAct, served as vice chair of the American Coalition of Taxpayer Rights, and was on the board of directors for the Council of Electronic Revenue Communication Advancement.

He said his recent acceptance to the Electronic Tax Administration Advisory Committee means a balance between the committee and continuing to be a full-time UI lecturer. Gettemy is a lecturer for the UI division of interdisciplinary programs and the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center.

“We will have five meetings throughout the year, plus other teleconferences from time to time,” he said. “We had our first meeting last week, and the final one will be in June, and then we will make a final report to Congress.”

The committee will present its annual findings to the U.S. Congress in June 2023, and Gettemy will be one of the committee members in attendance.

“Some of the meetings are while we’re off for Christmas break and others during the summer, so fortunately I should only miss a day or two per semester,” he said.

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Gettemy said he doesn’t plan on canceling any classes because of committee meetings, so he will bring in guest speakers or one of his colleagues to cover the class while he is away.

Courtney Kay-Decker, a UI College of Law adjunct faculty member, is currently serving her third and final year on the Electronic Tax Administration Advisory Committee.

Kay-Decker is also of counsel at Lane and Waterman LLP and previously served as director of the Iowa Department of Revenue from 2011 until 2019. Last year, she was the chair of the Electronic Tax Administration Advisory Committee.

Having a background in law has informed her role on the committee, Kay-Decker said.

“The basis of everything that you do in tax is either interpretation of the law or interpretation of regulations,” she said. “You need to understand not only the laws and regulations, but then how administratively the process works.”

Kay-Decker teaches a state and local tax class at the UI College of Law in addition to working as a full-time tax lawyer and an Electronic Tax Administration Advisory Committee member.

She said she looks forward to working with Gettemy at committee meetings.

“Last week, we all got together in D.C. for our training kickoff meeting for the new report year,” she said. “The committee tends to work in small groups on topics they’re assigned to by the chair, so professor Gettemy and I will certainly have the opportunity to work together.”

Terry Lemons, communications and liaison chief at the IRS, commented on the committee in an email to the DI.

“This is an important advisory committee for the IRS and taxpayers, and we’ve been very fortunate to have a number of Iowans add their talents to this effort through the years,” he wrote. “Dr. Gettemy and Ms. Kay-Decker bring important perspectives to the group, and we appreciate their willingness to serve as committee members.”