Invited
Amalia Colbert - Invited
Commissioner, Small Business/Self-Employed (SB/SE)
Internal Revenue Service
As the SB/SE Commissioner, Lia Colbert oversees taxpayer programs and services affecting the nation's small business and self-employed individuals. Lia provides oversight of SB/SE's $2.34 billion budget and executive leadership to a staff of over 20,000 employees responsible for service and enforcement programs for 57 million taxpayers who file personal, corporate, flow-through, employment, and excise and estate and gift tax returns. She also has oversight for two Servicewide offices that focus on IRS civil efforts in detecting and deterring tax fraud, and analyzing and identifying abusive tax transactions, tax schemes and emerging abusive schemes. Previously, Lia served as the Deputy Chief of the IRS Independent Office of Appeals where she worked closely with the Chief of Appeals in leading nationwide programs designed to enable Appeals employees to resolve tax controversies, without litigation, in a fair and impartial basis. Prior to that, Lia served in dual roles as the IRS Chief of Staff and the Taxpayer First Act (TFA) office executive lead. In her role as the IRS Chief of Staff, Lia worked closely with the IRS Commissioner and the senior leadership team to implement strategic priorities and initiatives critical to tax administration. As the TFA office executive lead, she oversaw Servicewide implementation of TFA provisions as well as delivering the TFA Report to Congress, bringing together a comprehensive taxpayer experience strategy, a holistic training strategy and a modernized IRS organizational structure. Lia also previously held positions within the IRS Human Capital Office (including senior advisor to the HCO; Deputy Director, Employment, Talent and Security; and Director, Workforce Relations). Lia started her leadership journey in the Office of Appeals as a team manager, Collection Area Director and Appeals Training Director.