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September 28, 2023 – The IRS Nationwide Tax Forum was back in-person and in full swing this summer after three years of going virtual during the pandemic. At each of the five tax forums held across the country, I had the honor of  hosting a series of town hall events where I heard directly from…

September 21, 2023  – 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.    Success Story: TAS helps in conservatorship refund case Every year the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) helps thousands of people with…

September 11, 2023 – The IRS announced it is ending the practice of unannounced visits from its revenue officers. The policy change is due to the rise in tax scams and taxpayer confusion over verifying an IRS employee’s identity, leading to safety concerns for both taxpayers and IRS employees. This is good news for taxpayers…

September 7, 2023 – TAS is pleased to share the news that the IRS has now opened up enrollment in the Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN) program to anyone who has a Social Security number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) Get an Identity Protection PIN to protect yourself from tax-related identity theft    The…

September 7, 2023 – In a March 2022 blog, I wrote about the IRS suspension of more than a dozen automated collection letters and notices associated with the filing of a tax return or payment of tax. The suspension was in response to the enormous processing backlog of paper tax returns and correspondence. At the…

September 1, 2023 – Most taxpayers who requested an extension of time to file for their 2022 federal income tax return will have until Monday, October 16, 2023, to file. TAS Tax Tip: Important Reminders for October Extension Filers    Extension of Time to File  Most taxpayers who requested an extension of time to file for their 2022 federal income…

September 1, 2023  – When a taxpayer does not file a required tax return, the IRS has the option of preparing the return on their behalf, which is commonly called a Substitute for Return (SFR).   Success Story: TAS ensures statutes are appropriately enforced  Every year the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) helps thousands of people…

August 29, 2023 – Some penalties require supervisory approval before they can be assessed by the IRS. The applicable statute, however, is vague regarding the point at which this approval must occur. This statutory ambiguity has generated conflicting decisions among the courts, which leaves taxpayers unsure about how they should be treated by the IRS…

August 22, 2023 – 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…

August 31, 2023 – Starting in 2024, you can begin communicating with the IRS digitally; additional enhancements coming in 2025.  The IRS announced that taxpayers will have the option to go paperless for IRS correspondence by the 2024 filing season, with additional digital enhancements by the 2025 filing season. The IRS Paperless Processing Initiative will…