An official website of the U.S. GovEvery year, the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) helps thousands of people with tax problems. This story is only one of many examples of how TAS helps resolve taxpayer’s tax issues. All personal details are removed to protect the taxpayer’s privacy.
TAS received a congressional inquiry where a taxpayer, living in a rural area, was unable to secure a tax account transcript. Without the proof of income from the transcript, the taxpayer would lose her housing subsidy and have nowhere to live within a few days. The IRS rejected her electronically filed return, so she had to mail in a paper return, which would take several more weeks to process. The TAS advocate quickly provided the taxpayer with a 2015 tax account transcript that proved her income. The agency accepted the 2015 transcript until her 2016 return was processed. TAS continued to work the issue for the taxpayer by making sure the 2016 return was processed timely to avoid further issues with the housing agency.
If you need information on a specific tax topic, visit the TAS Get Help resource. It offers a step-by step guide on what you can do to settle some IRS issues on your own, what your taxpayer rights are and other options available to help you get resolution. Most issues can be resolved directly by working with the IRS. However, if you have tried, but are still unable to resolve an IRS issue, learn more about whether TAS can help you: TAS eligibility.
When working with the Taxpayer Advocate Service, each individual or business taxpayer is assigned to an advocate who listens to the problem and helps the taxpayer understand what needs to be done to resolve their tax issue. TAS advocates will do everything they can to help taxpayers and work with them every step of the way. Occasionally we feature stories of taxpayers and advocates who work together to resolve complex tax issues. Read more TAS success stories.
