Tax Court Picks Face Senate Panel Queries on Backlogs, Fairness

Republicans Tuesday pushed three US Tax Court judge nominees to commit to helping taxpayers who appear in their courtrooms and to seek to try and relieve some of the busy court’s backlog of cases.

If confirmed, the nominees would spend their 15-year terms presiding over cases involving taxpayers who often have few resources, “yet the Internal Revenue Service is a very formidable opponent,” Senate Finance Committee ranking member Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) said during a hearing held by the panel.

Crapo questioned the nominees about how their experience would ensure fair treatment for taxpayers. After the hearing, he said they ...