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The Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) is pleased to announce that the UCLA Extension Tax Controversy Institute has selected National Taxpayer Advocate Erin M. Collins to receive the Bruce I. Hochman Award. The award recognizes Collins’ outstanding proficiency in the field of tax law and her contributions as a dynamic leader.   “I am honored to have…

Success Story: TAS advocates to remove tens of thousands in tax liability based on a typo At the heart of our organization’s mission lies a commitment to advocacy. Every year, we help thousands of individuals navigate the complex landscape of federal taxes with confidence and clarity. This story is just one of many examples of…

Sometimes taxpayers may need or want to make a change after they have already timely filed their tax return with the IRS. This is not an unusual occurrence and there are a variety of reasons that can give rise to this situation. Individual or business taxpayers may experience a change in circumstances, may receive relevant…

The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) recently issued a report finding that TAS’s local office telephone lines were not giving taxpayers the opportunity to speak with TAS representatives or leave messages. Fortunately, this problem was limited in scope because most calls are placed to our national toll-free number, and we immediately took corrective actions…

A Centralized Authorization File (CAF) number is a unique nine-digit identification number issued by the IRS to tax professionals who are authorized to represent others in tax matters. Your CAF number is a security measure that lets the IRS verify that you are authorized to access your client’s information or can call the IRS on…

The IRS has the authority in certain situations to postpone filing deadlines, such as for disaster relief, to provide taxpayers who are dealing with difficult circumstances some much-needed additional time to prepare and file their tax returns. However, these postponements can also create a trap for some taxpayers several years down the road, preventing them…

  Success Story: TAS advocates for refunds as IRS misapplies the law  At the heart of our organization’s mission lies a commitment to advocacy. Every year, we help thousands of individuals navigate the complex landscape of federal taxes with confidence and clarity. This story is just one of many examples of how TAS helps resolve…

The IRS resumed sending automated collection notices in January following a lengthy, but much needed, pause to address paper processing backlogs that built up during the pandemic. Recently the IRS began sending Intent to Levy notices, including Federal Payment Levy Program (FPLP) notices. The FPLP is an automated process the IRS uses to systemically levy…

During the last few weeks, the IRS sent about 28,000 Notices of Claim Disallowance – Letters 105C or 106C – to businesses rejecting their claims for the Employee Retention Credit (ERC) and will send more disallowance notices in the upcoming months. I suspect many business owners receiving these notices were confused and had many questions, including “What does…

A certified public accountant (CPA) filed an amended Form 1041, U.S. Income Tax Return for Estates and Trusts, on behalf of their client. The executor of the estate was unable to distribute the estate’s assets to the beneficiaries and close the estate until the amended return was accepted by the IRS and processed. After waiting…