Every year the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) helps thousands of people with tax problems. This success story is only one of many examples of how TAS helps resolve taxpayer issues.

Taxpayers across the nation are receiving tax assistance from the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) during special Saturday Hours events offered in partnership with the IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers (TAC).

The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) increases the Child Tax Credit (CTC) amount for 2021 from $2,000 up to $3,000; increases up to $3,600 for qualifying children under the age of six; and expands the age of a qualifying child to children who have not turned 18 years old. ARPA also allows half of the credit to be distributed through advance payments of the CTC in monthly allotments from July to December. The legislation made the credit fully refundable for many taxpayers for 2021, allowing more low-income households to qualify for it.

Tax professionals and our tax industry partners are the backbone of tax administration. That is why I hosted Town Hall listening sessions at the IRS’s Nationwide Tax Forum this summer. Hearing the questions, issues and concerns of the tax professionals who attended is an important tool that my team and I at the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) are using to advocate for taxpayers more effectively.

Identity theft issues impact millions of taxpayers each year, resulting in considerable delays and taxpayer burden. In the 2023 Annual Report to Congress, National Taxpayer Advocate Erin M. Collins discussed how each year, the IRS flags millions of returns for potential fraud. In 2022, the IRS suspended processing of 4.8 million tax returns pending identity verification. That’s 4.8 million taxpayers who had to do extra steps before their tax return could be processed. However, there are a few things that taxpayers can do to help ensure that your identity can be authenticated as quickly as possible.

Every year the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) helps thousands of people with tax problems. This success story is only one of many examples of how TAS helps resolve taxpayer issues.

A distraught taxpayer contacted TAS for help because her mother had been in a conservatorship with a stranger. The taxpayer and her mother were unaware that the conservator had been court-appointed. 

Every year the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) helps thousands of people with tax problems. This success story is only one of many examples of how TAS helps resolve taxpayer issues.

A taxpayer contacted TAS for assistance when their tax return was selected for audit and they were unable to resolve the audit through regular channels. TAS advocated for the taxpayer by providing a signed statement from their landlord that included the names of the taxpayer and their dependents, the start date of the lease, and the landlord’s contact information.

Every year the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) helps thousands of people with tax problems. This success story is only one of many examples of how TAS helps resolve taxpayer issues.

Learn more about the different options available to pay your federal taxes.

Disasters can happen at any time, so it’s important to be prepared. Good recordkeeping can help you get back on your feet quickly when disaster strikes.  

One of the best things you can do to keep your records safe is to take advantage of paperless recordkeeping options in addition to your paper records. This way, you’ll always have access to things like bank statements and tax records, even if your paper copies are destroyed. Creating your online account with the IRS ensures you have access to online transcripts, notices, and other tax information.  

Since 1998, Congress has authorized funding for Low Income Taxpayer Clinics (LITCs) to provide free or low-cost legal representation and tax assistance to low-income taxpayers. TAS partners with LITCs throughout the country. We are happy to share one recent example of the effective partnerships between TAS and LITCs. 

Every year the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) helps thousands of people with tax problems. This success story is only one of many examples of how TAS helps resolve taxpayer issues.

A taxpayer and their representative came to TAS for help with several years of amended returns. The taxpayer had included non-taxable income on several tax returns and owed substantial balances on those returns. They filed amended returns asking that the non-taxable income and related tax be removed. 

Every year the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) helps thousands of people with tax problems. This success story is only one of many examples of how TAS helps resolve taxpayer issues.

A power of attorney (POA) called TAS for help resolving a client’s balance due. The POA had submitted documents to the IRS showing that the taxpayer did not owe taxes for the sale of a house. The documents were not accepted, and the IRS adjusted the taxpayer’s account, creating a large balance due.

One persistent challenge the IRS continually deals with is preventing fraudulent refunds from being issued. Sadly, this phenomenon has become more and more common, as the number of refundable credits and their values continue to increase, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), the Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC), and the Recovery Rebate Credit (RRC). One way the IRS has addressed this issue is to screen tax returns to determine if income and wages are correct and if the legitimate taxpayer truly filed the tax return. This blog addresses issues where the IRS, through its screening process, flags the tax return as potential IDT; processing of the tax return is suspended; and a letter is sent to the filer asking them to authenticate their identity and certain tax return items before processing can resume.

A taxpayer sought TAS assistance in getting an amended return considered. The IRS initially denied the claim, stating it was not timely. The taxpayer appealed the claim denial, and the Appeals Officer confirmed the claim was timely and eligible for consideration. However, the IRS still did not process the claim. TAS issued a formal request for claim consideration, but the IRS failed to take the requested action. TAS then issued a Taxpayer Assistance Order (TAO) requiring the IRS to consider the claim. After receiving the TAO, the IRS processed the amended return and issued a refund to the taxpayer. TAS’s actions protected this taxpayer’s rights to finality and to pay no more than the correct amount of tax.  

A TAO is one of the ways that TAS protects these and other taxpayer rights. A TAO is a powerful statutory tool to resolve taxpayer problems. If TAS determines that a taxpayer faces significant hardship and the facts and the law support relief, it may issue a TAO when the IRS refuses or otherwise fails to provide the relief that TAS requests to resolve a case. TAS can issue a TAO to order the IRS to take an action, cease a certain action, or refrain from taking a certain action. TAS, however, cannot use a TAO to make a substantive determination of any tax liability. TAS may also use a TAO to order the IRS to expedite consideration of a taxpayer’s case, reconsider its determination in a case, or elevate review of the case.  

https://www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/?page_id=32174&preview=trueA single mother in her 30s was denied her claims for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and related credits for a recent tax year and missed the deadline to appeal the decision to the U.S. Tax Court. She sought help from an LITC, which connected her with a pro bono volunteer attorney who filed an audit reconsideration request on her behalf. The attorney presented new evidence to prove the taxpayer’s son resided with her and that she provided his financial support. The IRS reversed its decision and awarded her the refund. The pro bono attorney went further, helping to amend the taxpayer’s other tax returns to claim her son as a dependent and for the EITC, which provided much needed additional refunds.

Join TAS at the 2026 IRS Nationwide Tax Forum to attend Town Halls, earn continuing education credits, and get help with difficult IRS cases with the return of our case resolution room.