The IRS made several changes to improve its services.
The IRS will be extending hours of service in nearly 250 Taxpayer Assistance Centers (TAC). Normally, TACs are open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and operate by appointment. The extended office hours will run through April 16. You can call 844 545-5640 to make an appointment or walk in to get help at designated TACs offering the additional time. To see if a nearby TAC is offering extended hours, you can visit Contact your local office to access the IRS.gov TAC Locator tool.
In addition to extended hours during the work week, the IRS will again offer special Saturday hours at many TACs across the country February through May. On these special Saturdays, you can walk in to receive all services routinely provided at participating offices, except for cash payments.
If the IRS has required you to provide identity verification, you will need to bring two forms of identification, and one must be a current government-issued photo ID. You should also bring a copy or digital image of the tax return in question if one was filed.
If you need a sign language interpreter or help with foreign language interpretation, you are encouraged to make an appointment. Deaf or hard of hearing people who need sign language interpreter services, can call TTY/TDD 800-829-4059 to make an appointment. The IRS can also arrange for language interpretation in many languages through an over-the-phone professional translation service.
“For months, IRS employees have been working hard to be ready to help taxpayers and make tax season as easy and smooth as possible,” said IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel. “We’ve taken important steps to add more improvements to help taxpayers, ranging from expanded in-person hours, better online options and improved phone service.”
The IRS “Where’s My Refund?” is being expanded. Ongoing updates will allow you to see more detailed refund status messages and will be easier to understand. It will also include whether you need to respond to a letter requesting additional information. Previously “Where’s My Refund?” often provided a generic message stating that your return is still being processed and to check back later. The IRS is planning to continue expanding the information available on Where’s My Refund? later this year. The IRS has an also enhanced its Individual Online Account. It includes chat, the option to schedule and cancel future payments, revise payment plans and validate and save bank accounts. You can also view digital copies of select IRS notices and get information on your most recently filed return and approve authorizations from your tax professional.
David Zubler is a nationally known tax accountant and Enrolled Agent that resides in East Tennessee. He is the author of six tax books and a syndicated columnist who has shared tax advice on podcasts and national TV and has been referred to as America’s Tax Guru. He is the founder and president of Your Tax Care. He represents clients nationwide before the IRS and provides tax strategies, and tax education, including David’s one-minute tax tip radio recordings at YourTaxCare.com. David can be reached at (865)363-3019 or by email at david@yourtaxcare.com.
