Last week I read that the Taxpayer Advocate Service’s (TAS) case load has been growing substantially and this once great department inside the Internal Revenue Service does not have the resources to continue to handle its current inventory levels without adversely impacting its ability to provide effective service.
As a result, Internal Revenue Service memorandum TAS-13-0913-009 was produced to reissue guidance to TAS’s case-acceptance criteria for certain categories of Systemic Burden cases.
So I tried to get a case file opened yesterday and was basically told that unless you are unemployed and destined for homelessness as a result you will essentially NOT meet the standards for opening a case file. This is tragic on many levels and I am sickened by the unintended forthcoming results.
The lesson learned here is that now more than ever YOU need to be educated about YOUR tax obligations and if (more likely when) YOU get scrutinized YOU will have to learn to navigate the disturbingly troubled operational patterns of the IRS’ Examination (audit), Appeal, and/or Collection functions either on YOUR OWN or with the trusted advice of a friend or relative that may have had similar experiences.
Of course you could always engage the services of an Enrolled Agent to represent you in matters before the IRS, but be wary of who you hire as there are good and bad people EVERYWHERE with all sorts of fancy professional designations.
In accordance with Circular 230 Disclosure
Enrolled with the United States Treasury Department to practice before the IRS, governed by rules stipulated in United States Treasury Circular 230. As a Federally Authorized Tax Practitioner and a tax appeals specialist my Enrolled Agent License #85353 is issued by the United States Treasury. With this license I work for U.S. taxpayers everywhere to resolve tax matters and de-escalate stress about taxes or tax disputes for individuals and corporations with federal and state issues.
1 comment on “Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) – The Decline And Fall of A Once Great Department Inside The IRS”
I was told something similar recently when I contacted TAS. Needed a disconnect (utility), repossession (I.e vehicle), or foreclosure, etc document to get help. At that point it is a little too late to expect TAS to resolve the issue in a timely manner to prevent the next action the debtors are going to take.
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