Publication 519 |
2008 Tax Year |
You can get help with unresolved tax issues, order free publications and forms, ask tax questions, and get information from
the IRS in several
ways. By selecting the method that is best for you, you will have quick and easy access to tax help. Access to some of these
services depends on
whether you are inside or outside of the United States.
Contacting your Taxpayer Advocate.
If you have attempted to deal with an IRS problem unsuccessfully, you should contact your Taxpayer Advocate.
The Taxpayer Advocate Service is an independent organization within the IRS whose employees assist taxpayers who are
experiencing economic harm,
who are seeking help in resolving tax problems that have not been resolved through normal channels, or who believe that an
IRS system or procedure is
not working as it should.
To contact your Taxpayer Advocate:
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If you are in the United States, call the Taxpayer Advocate toll free at
1-877-777-4778. Persons living outside the United States can call the Taxpayer Advocate at (787) 622-8940 in English or (787)
622-8930 in
Spanish.
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Call, write, or fax the Taxpayer Advocate office in your area. Persons living outside the United States can fax the Taxpayer
Advocate at
(787) 622-8933 or contact the Taxpayer Advocate at:
Internal Revenue Service
Taxpayer Advocate
P.O. Box 193479
San Juan, PR 00919-3479
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Call 1-800-829-4059 if you are a TTY/TDD user and you are in the United States.
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Visit
www.irs.gov/advocate.
For more information, see Publication 1546, The Taxpayer Advocate Service of the IRS—How To Get Help With Unresolved
Tax Problems.
Free tax services.
To find out what services are available, get Publication 910, IRS Guide to Free Tax Services. It contains a list of
free tax publications and an
index of tax topics. It also describes other free tax information services, including tax education and assistance programs
and a list of TeleTax
topics.
Internet. You can access the IRS website 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at
www.irs.gov to:
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E-file your return. Find out about commercial tax preparation and e-file services available free to eligible
taxpayers.
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Check the status of your 2006 refund. Click on Where's My Refund. Be sure to wait at least 6 weeks from the date you filed your
return (3 weeks if you filed electronically). Have your 2006 tax return available because you will need to know your social
security number, your
filing status, and the exact whole dollar amount of your refund.
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Download forms, instructions, and publications.
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Order IRS products online.
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Research your tax questions online.
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Search publications online by topic or keyword.
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View Internal Revenue Bulletins (IRBs) published in the last few years.
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Figure your withholding allowances using our Form W-4 calculator.
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Sign up to receive local and national tax news by email.
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Get information on starting and operating a small business.
Phone. If you are in the United States, many services are available by phone.
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Ordering forms, instructions, and publications. Call 1-800-829-3676 to order current-year forms, instructions, and publications
and prior-year forms and instructions. You should receive your order within 10 days.
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Asking tax questions. Call the IRS with your tax questions at 1-800-829-1040.
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Solving problems. You can get face-to-face help solving tax problems every business day in IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers. An
employee can explain IRS letters, request adjustments to your account, or help you set up a payment plan. Call your local
Taxpayer Assistance Center
for an appointment. To find the number, go to
www.irs.gov/localcontacts or
look in the phone book under United States Government, Internal Revenue Service.
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TTY/TDD equipment. If you have access to TTY/TDD equipment, call 1-800-829-4059 to ask tax questions or to order forms and
publications.
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TeleTax topics. Call 1-800-829-4477 and press 2 to listen to pre-recorded messages covering various tax topics.
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Refund information. If you would like to check the status of your 2006 refund, call 1-800-829-4477 and press 1 for automated
refund information or call 1-800-829-1954. Be sure to wait at least 6 weeks from the date you filed your return (3 weeks if
you filed electronically).
Have your 2006 tax return available because you will need to know your social security number, your filing status, and the
exact whole dollar amount
of your refund.
If you are outside the United States, you can call your nearest U.S. Embassy, consulate, or IRS office listed below to find
out when and where
assistance will be available. These IRS telephone numbers include the country and city codes required if you are outside the
local dialing area.
Frankfurt, Germany
|
(49)
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(69)
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7535-3834
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London, England
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(44)
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(20)
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7894-0477
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Paris, France
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(33)
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(1)
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4312-2555
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Overseas taxpayers can also call the United States for help at (215) 516-2000.
If you are in Guam, the Bahamas, U.S. Virgin Islands, or Puerto Rico, you can call 1-800-829-1040.
Evaluating the quality of our telephone services.
To ensure that IRS representatives give accurate, courteous, and professional answers, we use several methods to evaluate
the quality of our
telephone services. One method is for a second IRS representative to sometimes listen in on or record telephone calls. Another
is to ask some callers
to complete a short survey at the end of the call.
Walk-in. If you are in the United States, many products and services are available on a walk-in basis.
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Products. You can walk in to many post offices, libraries, and IRS offices to pick up certain forms, instructions, and
publications. Some IRS offices, libraries, grocery stores, copy centers, city and county government offices, credit unions,
and office supply stores
have a collection of products available to print from a CD-ROM or photocopy from reproducible proofs. Also, some IRS offices
and libraries have the
Internal Revenue Code, regulations, Internal Revenue Bulletins, and Cumulative Bulletins available for research purposes.
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Services. You can walk in to your local Taxpayer Assistance Center every business day for personal, face-to-face tax help. An
employee can explain IRS letters, request adjustments to your tax account, or help you set up a payment plan. If you need
to resolve a tax problem,
have questions about how the tax law applies to your individual tax return, or you're more comfortable talking with someone
in person, visit your
local Taxpayer Assistance Center where you can spread out your records and talk with an IRS representative face-to-face. No
appointment is necessary,
but if you prefer, you can call your local Center and leave a message requesting an appointment to resolve a tax account issue.
A representative will
call you back within 2 business days to schedule an in-person appointment at your convenience. To find the number, go to
www.irs.gov/localcontacts or
look in the phone book under United States Government, Internal Revenue Service.
If you are outside the United States during the filing period (January to mid-June), you can get the necessary federal tax
forms and publications
from U.S. Embassies and consulates.
Also during the filing season, the IRS conducts an overseas taxpayer assistance program. To find out if IRS personnel will
be in your area,
you should contact the consular office at the nearest U.S. Embassy.
Mail. You can send your order for forms, instructions, and publications to the address below and receive a response within 10 business
days after your request is received.
National Distribution Center
P.O. Box 8903
Bloomington, IL 61702-8903
If you are outside the United States, for answers to technical or account questions, you can write to:
Internal Revenue Service
International Section
P.O. Box 920
Bensalem, PA 19020-8518
CD for tax products. You can order Publication 1796, IRS Tax Products CD, and obtain:
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A CD that is released twice so you have the latest products. The first release ships in late December and the final release
ships in late
February.
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Current-year forms, instructions, and publications.
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Prior-year forms, instructions, and publications.
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Bonus: Historical Tax Products DVD - Ships with the final release.
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Tax Map: an electronic research tool and finding aid.
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Tax law frequently asked questions.
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Tax Topics from the IRS telephone response system.
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Fill-in, print, and save features for most tax forms.
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Internal Revenue Bulletins.
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Toll-free and email technical support.
Buy the CD from National Technical Information Service (NTIS) at
www.irs.gov/cdorders for $25 (no handling fee) or call 1-877-CDFORMS (1-877-233-6767) toll free to buy the CD for $25 (plus a $5 handling
fee). Price is subject to change.
CD for small businesses. Publication 3207, The Small Business Resource Guide CD for 2006, is a must for every small business owner or
any taxpayer about to start a business. This year's CD includes:
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Helpful information, such as how to prepare a business plan, find financing for your business, and much more.
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All the business tax forms, instructions, and publications needed to successfully manage a business.
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Tax law changes for 2006.
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Tax Map: an electronic research tool and finding aid.
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Web links to various government agencies, business associations, and IRS organizations.
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“Rate the Product” survey—your opportunity to suggest changes for future editions.
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A site map of the CD to help you navigate the pages of the CD with ease.
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An interactive “Teens in Biz” module that gives practical tips for teens about starting their own business, creating a business plan,
and filing taxes.
An updated version of this CD is available each year in early April. You can get a free copy by calling 1-800-829-3676 or
by visiting
www.irs.gov/smallbiz.
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