11/03/97
                                                                  97-42   


           NOVEMBER 15 WILL BE FIRST IRS PROBLEM SOLVING DAY

      Washington -- Taxpayers in 33 cities are invited to Problem Solving Day on Saturday, November
15, 1997, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  During this open house, individuals with long-standing tax
problems who have had difficulty getting answers will have the opportunity to meet with IRS employees
face-to-face.  
      þWe want to reach out to taxpayers who have been unable to resolve their problems.  Opening
our office on a Saturday offers taxpayers a new way to work with us towards a solution,þ said the
Taxpayer Advocate, Lee Monks, in Washington, DC.
      Some of the problems IRS employees will be ready to handle include misapplied payments, non-
receipt of refunds and unresolved bills.
      Interested taxpayers and/or their representatives may call 1-800-829-1040 or the special local
phone number for their city to schedule an appointment for November 15.
Locations and phone numbers are attached.
      Taxpayers are encouraged to call for an appointment so IRS will have the right problem solver
there to help.  þWe wonþt turn away anyone who wants to attend our Problem Solving Day,þ said Monks. 
þHowever, scheduling an appointment increases the likelihood that we will be able to solve the problem in
the least amount of time.þ

                                (more)
                                 - 2 -

      November 15 is the first monthly Problem Solving Day.  Others will be scheduled in cities
throughout all IRS districts. 
      Taxpayers who are unable to come in on November 15, can always call the IRS toll-free line --
1-800-829-1040 -- Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. to request their problem be referred to
the Taxpayer Advocate.  The Taxpayer Advocate is the primary champion for taxpayers with problems
that cannot be resolved through ordinary channels. 

                                 X X X
                                 - 3 -
Problem Solving Day LocationsCall for Appointments
State/City                       Telephone #
Arizona
      Phoenix                    602-207-8634/35
California
      Laguna Nigel         714-360-2178
      Los Angeles                213-894-8852
      Oakland                    510-637-4359
      San Jose                   408-494-8285
Colorado
      Denver               303-571-4402
Connecticut
      Hartford                   860-240-4156
Florida
      Jacksonville               904-232-3440
      Ft. Lauderdale       954-423-7684
Georgia
      Atlanta              404-331-3485
Illinois
      Chicago                    312-886-0550
Indiana
      Indianapolis               317-226-5081
Louisiana
      New Orleans          504-558-3019
Maryland
      Baltimore                  410-962-9337
Massachusetts
      Boston               617-565-1550
Michigan
      Detroit              313-226-4780
Minnesota
      St. Paul                   612-290-3061
Missouri
      St. Louis                  314-539-6900
New Jersey
      Newark                     973-645-3886
New York
      Brooklyn                   718-488-3601
      Manhattan                  212-436-1013
      Buffalo              716-685-5432
                                   

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North Carolina
      Greensboro                 910-378-2334
Ohio
      Cincinnati                 513-621-6281
Oklahoma
      Oklahoma City        405-297-4745
Pennsylvania
      Philadelphia               215-574-9900
Tennessee
      Nashville                  615-736-5423
Texas
      Austin               512-499-5000
      Dallas               214-767-0593
      Houston                    713-209-4506
Virginia
      Richmond                   804-771-2292
Washington
      Seattle              1-800-829-0933
Wisconsin
      Milwaukee                  414-297-1260