Tax Preparedness Series: IRS Face-To-Face Help Now By Appointment

Notice: Historical Content


This is an archival or historical document and may not reflect current law, policies or procedures.

Note to Editor: This is the eighth in a series of reminders to help taxpayers prepare for the upcoming tax filing season.

IR-2016-172, Dec. 20, 2016

WASHINGTON — As the tax filing season approaches, the Internal Revenue Service reminds taxpayers that an appointment is required for in-person tax help at all IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers (TAC).

IRS TACs continue to be a vital part of the service IRS provides when a tax issue cannot be resolved on-line or by phone. All IRS TACs now provide face-to-face service by-appointment. Instead of taxpayers going directly to their local TAC, they can call 844-545-5640 to reach an IRS representative, who is trained to either help them resolve their issue or schedule an appointment for them to get the help they need.

The Contact Your Local Office tool on IRS.gov helps taxpayers find the closest IRS TAC, the days and hours of operation, and a list of services provided. The IRS said studies show most taxpayers visit a TAC to make payments, inquire about a notice, ask about a refund, get a transcript or obtain a tax form. Many of these issues can be resolved at IRS.gov without traveling to an IRS office.

Check Publication 5136PDF, the IRS Services Guide for additional information on available services.

Don’t Wait In Line

Between January and mid-May 2016, taxpayers used IRS.gov nearly 349 million times to find tax information and assistance on IRS.gov. But many taxpayers are not aware that in addition to various interactive tools, IRS.gov has resources and answers about many tax matters, some in Spanish.

Tax help is just a keystroke away using the Interactive Tax Assistant or Publication 17, Your Federal Income Tax, a comprehensive tax guide for individuals. The IRS Tax Map allows taxpayers to search by topic or keyword for information.

For more information, visit IRS.Gov/GetReady.

IRS YouTube Videos

  • Making an Appointment for IRS Tax Help: English | ASL

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