IRS Taxpayer Advocate can help with IRS Problems
Most people only think about the IRS in April. But if you have IRS Tax Problems, you likely think about the IRS a whole lot more. But there is a part of the IRS that really is there to help. It's called the Office of the Taxpayer Advocate, an independent branch of the IRS that exists merely to assist taxpayers with hardships, including bureaucratic snafus.
The Taxpayer Advocate really is the best kept secret of the IRS. The Service is open to both individual and business taxpayers. The Taxpayer Advocate's representatives aren't intended to be the first point of contact but rather their job is to assist taxpayers when other avenues have failed. Unfortunately, this is quite common.
Typically the Taxpayer Advocate deals with taxpayers who are experiencing hardships or financial burdens stemming from an IRS Tax Problem. Sometimes it's best to use the Taxpayer Advocate if a taxpayer hasn't received a response from the IRS within a reasonable amount of time. This amount of time is usually 30 days.
One of the best features of using the Taxpayer Advocate is that the taxpayer has one person assigned to the case for the duration of their assistance. This is quite different than calling a 1-800 number and talking to whoever picks up the phone. It is quite frustrating to have to continually explain the circumstances of the particular case over and over again.
If you would like to contact the Taxpayer Advocate go to http://www.irs.gov and click on the Taxpayer Advocate link toward the bottom of the page. A word to the wise, the Taxpayer Advocate is not substitute for getting an IRS Problem Lawyer who is looking out for your best interests. An experienced IRS Tax Problem Attorney will often use the Taxpayer Advocate to help in a particular case because it is the most efficient way to get certain things done. IRS help is still best obtained from the services of a skilled Tax Problem lawyer so don't be tempted into taking the easy way out and use the Taxpayer Advocate for solving the whole IRS Tax Problem.
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Comments on IRS Taxpayer Advocate can help with IRS Problems
I would like to know if there's anyway you could help me solve an issue concerning my income tax return. My employer haven't given me my w-2 form,and that's delaying me to file my income tax. I spoke with human resources everyday and they keep telling me i would receive it in the mail. It's been a week and i haven't receive anything yet. I even ask my supervisor to go to human resources to see what's the problem and he came back and said that they weren't able to find it,and that was on 02-01-2008. So i'm asking can you help me with this problem.
I,m trying to change the address on an existing ss-4,[employer identification number]]
Isubmitted achange of address on form 8822 which was rejected without a reason. I was told to resubmit it and don,t know how to proceed.
I just received 600 for a money back program, my husband and I filed as joint married and was told 1200 dollars. Why would they only send half.
Dyan,
You're going to need to give them a call to find out why you got less than you expected. If you can't get a straight answer, file a form 911 with your Local Taxpayer Advocate office. You can find the fax number to your local office on the irs.gov website. Good luck!
I have a short sale on my home and an end buyer title search showed $18000 in tax liens from 2000 to 2007 due my illnesses I hauent been able to pay taxes. I have recd a tax lien release on 4 of the liens which totalled 6049.00. I have an appt. to receive a call from a tax payer advocate on the 19th of Nov. Can an advocate assist me in getting the remaining liens released so I can continue with the short sale instead of filing bankruptcy? What questions should I be ready to ask?
I realize now that I didn't answer this comment. I'm really sorry about that. The answer is that the Taxpayer Advocate really should be able to help you with the liens.
I had a problem with my 2003 tax return when an accountant did a bad job that caused an audit. I was glad for the audit because with all my receipts and documents I was able to reduce the tax liability. The problem i am having now is that I no longer own a business and a six figure income had dropped to a "keeping head at level of water" income. The IRS Collection agent has been reeking havoc in my life, they have been filing bogus returns on my behalf, including business reurns 940 and 941, (again….I do not currently own or operate a business). These false returns, S. freeman IRS Agent No. 58-10933, has been filing for me have even been questioned by other agents which I have met with at the central irs office in my town. Agent Freeman, obviously got a big commission off the taxes I overpaid for 2003 but, I did own and operate a business at that time.
Agent Freeman, has violated my rights, she has shown how desperate she is by filing all these returns for me when my returns have already been filed. I believe it is causing my original returns to be overridden with those she has filed. She has falsely given me an income of over 475,000, and now she is in the process of taking my home and my car to settle that false debt. The 940 and 941 alone, is giving me a false tax liability of at least 10,000.
Unbelievably, we had a city shutdown due to temperatures below freezing, and all schools, clinics, agencies were closed. This woman showed up at my door step, like the police, and was here to collect those false taxes. She clearly knows that my business closed 4 years ago, and now I am barely working. She is bullying me, and wants me to come down to her office on a late evening after hours, with copies of all of my returns. My returns are currently being processed at the addresses of the irs in which I was told to mailed them. This Freeman woman wants to get her hands on these and continue to destroy my life……HELP!!!
Kim, this is the type of case that screams out for representation. Perhaps the IRS Revenue Officer is being overaggressive. It's really hard to know for sure based upon your comment. Please allow me to explain….when a taxpayer doesn't understand the system and the Revenue Officer doesn't take the time to explain what he or she is doing and why (or they simply don't view that as a function of their job description. It's really unfortunate because I believe that the Revenue Officers that really take the time to explain what is going on and then helping the taxpayer to facilitate compliance end up collecting the most money anyway.
It's hard to say and all cases are different, but it seems to me that what you really need is a liason between you and the Revenue Officer. Our plan would be to demonstrate that you have been out of business for quite some time, get those Substitute for Returns nullified and then either have you placed in hardship status or assist with the filing of an Offer in Compromise. There are simply so many details that we still don't know despite your excellent summation in your comment.
I feel your pain and frustration. It doesn't have to end up being a financial disaster but I do suggest that you get professional help as soon as possible.