Fact Sheet: Taxpayer Advocate Service

The Taxpayer Advocate Service is an independent organization, which is not under the oversight of the IRS but Congress. Congress created the Taxpayer Advocate Service to help taxpayers. There is at least one local Taxpayer Advocate Service office in every state. Taxpayers can call this service locally or toll-free at 877-777-4778. The Taxpayer Advocate Service is your voice at the IRS. It helps taxpayers whose problems are causing financial difficulty and provides an advocate for both businesses and individuals.

An Overview of the Taxpayer Advocate Service

The Taxpayer Advocate Service is there to help taxpayers who are facing financial problems, immediate threat of adverse IRS action, those who have not gotten a response from the IRS and when the IRS hasn't responded by the date promised. Taxpayers can also report systemic problems to the Taxpayer Advocate Service, such as issues involving IRS systems, policies and procedures. Its job is to ensure that every taxpayer is treated fairly and understands their rights.

Contacting the Taxpayer Advocate Service

When you call the Taxpayer Advocate Service for help, be sure you are prepared with the following information:

• Your employer identification number (EIN) or your social security number (SSN)
• The tax year and type of tax return involved
• A detailed description of your tax problem
• Information about your previous attempts with the IRS to resolve the problem

Your local taxpayer advocate will identify themselves by name and their IRS number. Be sure to write down this information for your records just in case you need to follow up later.

A Closer Look at the Taxpayer Advocate Service

The Taxpayer Advocate Service not only works with taxpayers but with tax professionals. It provides a variety of information on tax law updates, guidance and ways to let the service know about systemic problems seen in tax practices. Every year, the Taxpayer Advocate Service submits two reports to Congress with no review from the IRS Oversight Board. Its annual report includes an analysis of at least 20 of the most serious problems encountered by taxpayers and makes administrative recommendations for solving those issues.