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Taxpayer Advocate Service: Your Voice at the IRS

The Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) is your voice at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Its job is to ensure that you're treated fairly and that you know and understand your rights. TAS can offer you free help with IRS problems that you can't resolve on your own. The IRS knows this process can be confusing, but the worst thing you can do is nothing at all!

TAS can help if you can't resolve your problem with the IRS, and any of the following apply:

  • Your problem is causing financial difficulties for you, your family, or your business.
  • You face (or your business is facing) an immediate threat of adverse action.
  • You (or your business) will suffer irreparable injury or long-term adverse impact.
  • You've tried repeatedly to contact the IRS but no one has responded, or the IRS hasn't responded by the date promised.

If you qualify for TAS help, you'll be assigned to one advocate who'll be with you at every turn and do everything possible to resolve your problem. TAS has offices in every state, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, and the services are always free.

In June 2014, the IRS adopted a Taxpayer Bill of Rights that describes 10 fundamental rights that you and every taxpayer have when dealing with the IRS. In December 2015, Congress added the Taxpayer Bill of Rights to the Internal Revenue Code. See IRC § 7803(a)(3). The online Tax Toolkit at Link opens in a new windowhttps://taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov can help you understand what these rights are, what the Taxpayer Bill of Rights means for you, and how these rights apply in specific situations with the IRS.

If you need TAS's help, call your local advocate. Locate your local taxpayer advocate at Link opens in a new windowhttps://www.irs.gov/advocate/local-taxpayer-advocate, or call TAS toll-free at 877-777-4778.

TAS also handles large-scale or systemic problems that affect many taxpayers. If you know of one of these broad issues, please report it through the Systemic Advocacy Management System: Link opens in a new windowhttps://www.irs.gov/advocate/systemic-advocacy-management-system-sams.

U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS). (Updated 2019, August 1). Tax topic number 104: Taxpayer Advocate Service – Your voice at the IRS. Retrieved December 11, 2019, from https://www.irs.gov

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