Taxpayer Advocate

What is the taxpayer advocate, what is their roll and how can they be of help to you?

The Taxpayer Advocate Service or TAS, was created back in 1979 in order to help taxpayers whose problems were not being resolved promptly or properly. This department, however, remains a big unknown resource for most taxpayers.

Although a part of the Internal Revenue Service, it remains independent, impartial and confidential. Their mission is to “help taxpayers resolve problems within the IRS and recommend changes that will prevent problems.”

The TAS is able to:

_ Listen to the taxpayer’s position.
_ Investigate.
_ Evaluate.
_ Correct the situation.
_ Request the IRS takes a second look.
_ Advise the taxpayer of their options.

How to contact the TAS: The Taxpayer Advocate can be contacted at 877-777-4778. They can be contacted 5 days a week, and they provide services in both English and Spanish.

It should be emphasized that the TAS should be considered a last resort, after all efforts have been exhausted to resolve the problem directly with the IRS.

A free consultation with a competent Tax Consultant can help you understand your options.

Source: Internal Revenue Manual, Part 13, Chapter 1, Section 1.