Tax Panel Postpones Meetings

The Federal Tax Reform Panel has postponed both of its public meetings, one scheduled for September 8 and another on September 15, partly to allow the Treasury Department to focus on tax relief measures for victims of hurricane Katrina. Former Senator John Breaux (R-Louisiana), vice chairman of the tax reform panel, is now focusing all of his attention on helping hurricane victims in his home state, says Tara Bradshaw, the tax reform panel’s spokeswoman. The Treasury Department has been helping the tax reform panel “run the estimates of all different types of plans and options, such as estimates for the cost of eliminating the AMT, but Treasury is now focused on getting out taxpayer guidance” to help those affected by Katrina, Bradshaw says.