Protecting taxpayer civil rights

The Internal Revenue Service does not tolerate discrimination by its employees against anyone because of age, sex, color, disability, race, religion, and national origin (including limited English proficiency). Our no-tolerance stance also applies to anyone who volunteers or works with taxpayers in one of our assisted programs:

  • Low Income Tax Clinics (LITC)
  • Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA)
  • Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE)

Taxpayer civil rights publications

The following publications help explain and reinforce the IRS commitment to protecting taxpayer civil rights:

  • Publication 4053, Your Civil Rights are Protected is displayed at all federally-assisted site locations.
  • Publication 4053-C, Your Civil Rights are Protected is displayed at federally-conducted site locations.
  • Accessibility — Notice of rights

Making a request

If you are a taxpayer with a disability who needs a reasonable accommodation, or you have limited English proficiency and require language assistance, inform the IRS employee that you are working with about your need for assistance. In addition, if you encounter an individual that volunteers or works at a LITC, VITA or TCE site, inform the individual about your need for a reasonable accommodation or language assistance.

To receive correspondence from the IRS in your preferred language, complete and submit Schedule LEP PDF with your tax return. If you have a visual impairment and would like to receive correspondence from the IRS in an alternative media format such as Braille, large print, audio or electronic formats, complete and send Form 9000 to the following:

Department of the Treasury
Internal Revenue Service
Kansas City, MO 64999-0002

We encourage you to work with our employees, and volunteers or staff members within our assisted programs, for help with getting a reasonable accommodation or language assistance. Please note that we cannot assist you with tax related matters. If you need assistance resolving tax issues with the IRS, contact the Taxpayer Advocate Service at 877-777-4778 or visit the Taxpayer Advocate webpage.

Additional information

If you have a general complaint about an IRS employee, contact the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA). TIGTA maintains comprehensive audit and investigative programs, including a strategic enforcement program emphasizing deterrence and detection approaches to ensure the highest degree of integrity and ethics in the IRS workforce. For information on how to submit a complaint to TIGTA, call 800-366-4484 or visit the TIGTA webpage.

 While we cannot assist you with tax related matters, we encourage you to visit the IRS website or call 800-829-1040 to obtain information on most commonly asked questions such as how to obtain your tax refund. If you believe that your matter cannot be handled by phone or online, schedule an appointment to speak with an IRS representative at your local Taxpayer Assistance Center (TAC) by calling 844-545-5640. When visiting the TAC, please be advised that you may be asked to provide valid photo identification and a Taxpayer Identification Number, such as a Social Security number, to receive services. In addition, if you suspect tax fraud activity, contact the IRS Tax Fraud Referral Hotline by calling 800-829-0433.