Travel

1985 estimate

$918,000

$918,000

1

5

4

2

18

$861,000

32,000

5,000

11,000

2,000

7,000

$918,000

$918,000

JOINT COMMITTEE ON TAXATION

Congress of the United States

JOINT COMMITTEE ON TAXATION

1015 LONGWORTH HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING

Washington, D.C. 20515

JAN 19 1984

DAVID H. BROCKWAY
CHIEF OF STAFF
RICHARD A. GORDON
DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF (LAW)

JAMES W. WETZLER
DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF ECONOMICS)

Subcommittee on Legislative Branch

U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515

The customary schedule in support of the fiscal 1985 budget requests for the Joint Committee on Taxation was forwarded to the Finance Office in December 1983. Chairman Rostenkowski has asked me to respond to your request for an explanatory statement relating to that schedule.

The amount provided for the Joint Committee in the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act for fiscal 1984 (P.L. 98-51) is $3,395.000. The Joint Committee is requesting for fiscal 1985 an increase of $136,300 above the fiscal 1984 appropriation to cover increases in service costs and computer expenses necessitated by increased interest in tax legislation expected during the first session of the 99th Congress. A portion of the increase of the 1984 appropriation level is due to the January 1984 cost-of-living pay increase.

The staff works closely with the Congression Budget
Office in revenue estimates and Federal expenditures which
causes an increased usage of computer equipment. These
computer expenses have continually risen during the past few
years causing this item to account for most of our
non-personnel expenses. We have, as you will note, provided
for decreases in anticipated consultant services and
equipment rental expenses.

As part of the Joint Committee's overall administrative oversight responsibility of the Internal Revenue Service, the staff also is continuing to pursue a number of studies with the General Accounting Office into certain activities of the Internal Revenue Service.

In summary, the additional funds requested for fiscal 1985 are to cover additional expenses that will be incurred as a result of extensive utilization of computer services, which have proved to be invaluable in connection with the consideration of tax proposals before the tax-writing committees, and increased costs of miscellaneous other services utilized by the committee.