How ongoing collaboration with the Colorado Department of Revenue helps COCPA address challenges, advance solutions, and keep practitioners informed.

Tax deadlines come and go, but COCPA's commitment to Colorado's tax practitioners doesn't follow a filing calendar. Whether it's addressing tax notices, navigating delays, or preparing for legislative changes, COCPA works year-round to make sure practitioners have a voice and an advocate.

Effective advocacy goes beyond responding to problems. It means building trusted relationships, connecting stakeholders, and finding opportunities for improvement. One way we do this is through working group meetings three times a year with the Colorado Department of Revenue (“CDOR" or “the Department”). These meetings help COCPA understand the Department's priorities and operational challenges, raise strategic concerns, support education and communication efforts, and keep members informed about what's ahead.

Turning Practitioner Feedback Into Action

Here's a recent example. Practitioners reported significant problems with 2022 tax year notices. COCPA CEO Alicia Gelinas worked directly with CDOR, sharing member examples to help identify patterns. CDOR conducted a root cause analysis, found data validation errors, and automatically voided approximately 1,000 notices. While not every issue was resolved, this action offered real relief for practitioners and their clients, and it started with members collectively sharing their real-time experiences.

CDOR continues tracking disputes to identify recurring issues that may warrant systemic improvements related to 2022 Notices. Practitioners whose clients still disagree with an assessment should follow the standard dispute process. 

Staying Ahead: Updates From the September Working Group

Strong relationships aren't just about solving today's problems. They help practitioners prepare for tomorrow's changes.  We appreciate CDOR leadership’s willingness to engage as proactive partners, fostering open dialogue, sharing insights, and working collaboratively to identify improvements that benefit Colorado's tax practitioners and the taxpayers they serve.

Our September working group meeting covered changes that will affect tax practitioners in the months ahead, including Revenue Online filing changes, developing rules for the newly enacted Colorado state sales tax on software, TABOR refund projections, and early preparation for the 2027 filing season

You’ll find the details, key dates, and an action checklist in the COCPA/CDOR Working Group September 2026 Pulse, now available in the Resource Library.

Keep Learning: Upcoming Training

Want to go deeper? Two upcoming sessions can help you prepare.

2026 Tax Year in Review Day 2: Working with the Agencies: Payroll, the IRS & CDOR is a full-day webcast on December 17 worth 8 CPE credits. It brings together payroll, IRS, and CDOR perspectives, and closes with a CDOR representative on representing clients before the state. Early registration pricing ends December 3.

Or sign up for the next CDOR Sales Tax Webinar on November 17th at 1 p.m.

Your Voice Drives Our Advocacy

COCPA’s advocacy is strongest when informed by the practitioners we represent. If you’re encountering recurring notices, processing delays, confusing guidance, or other systemic challenges, we want to hear from you. We’ll bring those insights to our next working group meeting with CDOR in January.

Together, we’re working toward better outcomes for Colorado’s tax practitioners and the clients they serve.