This article was published by the IRS.
The Taxpayer Advocate Service is an independent organization within the Internal Revenue Service. TAS protects taxpayers’ rights by striving to ensure that all taxpayers are treated fairly and know and understand their rights under the Taxpayer Bill of Rights.
Here’s what all taxpayers should know about their rights and the role of the Taxpayer Advocate Service.
What is the Taxpayer Bill of Rights?
The Taxpayer Bill of Rights describes ten basic rights that all taxpayers have when dealing with the IRS. The TAS taxpayer rights webpage can help taxpayers understand what these rights mean to them and how they apply. All taxpayers should know these rights.
The TAS website can help taxpayers with common tax issues and situations. These include what to do if a taxpayer made a mistake on their tax return, if they got a notice from the IRS, or they’re thinking about hiring a tax return preparer.
What can the Taxpayer Advocate Service do for taxpayers?
TAS can help taxpayers resolve problems that they haven’t been able to resolve with the IRS on their own. The service is free. TAS helps all taxpayers and their representatives, including individuals, businesses, and exempt organizations. If taxpayers qualify for TAS help, an advocate will be with them at every turn and do everything possible to assist throughout the process.
Taxpayers may be eligible for TAS help if:
- Their IRS problem is causing financial difficulty.
- They’ve tried and been unable to resolve their issue with the IRS.
- They believe an IRS system, process, or procedure just isn’t working as it should.
TAS also handles large-scale problems that affect many taxpayers. Those know about these broad issues, please report them using the Systemic Advocacy Management System on IRS.gov. Taxpayers should not include any personal tax information when reporting these issues.
How to contact a local Taxpayer Advocate Service office
TAS has offices in every state, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
There are several ways taxpayers can find their local TAS office phone number.
- Visit the contact us section of the TAS website
- Download Publication 1546, Taxpayer Advocate Service – We Are Here to Help You
- Call the IRS toll-free at 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676) and ask for a copy of Publication 1546
- Check their local directory
- Call TAS toll-free at 877-777-4778
The Taxpayer Advocate Service is the taxpayer’s voice at the IRS. For more information taxpayers should, visit the TAS website.