Every business has a department that deals with complaints from
customers. At the IRS, this department is known as the taxpayer
advocate office.
Advocating for You
The purpose of the taxpayer advocate office is to provide
taxpayers with a friendly source to handle customer service
issues. The office is run independent of the IRS and has offices
at every IRS center in the nation. The taxpayer advocate has a
stated goal of resolving your problem with the IRS in seven
short days. It doesn't always happen, but it is a nice goal.
The taxpayer advocate has a surprising amount of power. The
advocate agents can rifle through the IRS computers at will,
which makes them great at locating filings the IRS claims never
occurred. The advocate can also stop collection efforts by the
IRS and even release tax liens on your bank account or property.
Basically, the advocate office is the place to go when you think
you are getting a raw deal from the IRS.
The taxpayer advocate agents do not take any old case. In
general, you have to show the IRS is unresponsive to your
problem or causing you a major hardship. For instance, if your
correspondence to the IRS is not being responded to, the
advocate can crack the whip on your behalf. If the IRS puts a
lien on your bank account, but you're in the hospital, the
advocated can release it. The advocate, however, does not give
tax advice or fight audits for you.
If you wish to get the taxpayer advocate involved in your IRS
situation, you should write the office in your area. Just search
for taxpayer advocate online to get the location. Your letter
should include a concise description of the problem, copies of
your supporting documents, copies of what the IRS has sent you
and a telephone number where you can be reached. In an emergency
situation, you can call the taxpayer advocate by contacting the
local IRS office. This should only be done in an emergency.
The IRS is undoubtedly a dysfunctional government agency. The
taxpayer advocate can help you get things straightened out when
dealing with the IRS.
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