You can get help with unresolved tax issues, order free publications and forms, ask tax questions, and get more 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.
Contacting your Taxpayer Advocate.
If you have attempted to deal with an IRS problem unsuccessfully, you should contact your Taxpayer Advocate.
The Taxpayer Advocate independently represents your interests and concerns within the IRS by protecting your rights
and resolving problems that
have not been fixed through normal channels. While Taxpayer Advocates cannot change the tax law or make a technical tax decision,
they can clear up
problems that resulted from previous contacts and ensure that your case is given a complete and impartial review.
To contact your Taxpayer Advocate:
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Call the Taxpayer Advocate toll free at
1–877–777–4778.
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Call, write, or fax the Taxpayer Advocate office in your area.
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Call 1–800–829–4059 if you are a
TTY/TDD user.
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Visit the web site at www.irs.gov/advocate.
For more information, see Publication 1546,
The Taxpayer Advocate Service of the IRS.
Free tax services.
To find out what services are available, get Publication 910,
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 web site 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at www.irs.gov to:
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E-file. Access commercial tax preparation and e-file services available for free to eligible taxpayers.
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Check the amount of advance child tax credit payments you received in 2003.
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Check the status of your 2003 refund. Click on “Where's My Refund” and then on “Go Get My Refund Status.” Be sure to wait at least
6 weeks from the date you filed your return (3 weeks if you filed electronically) and have your 2003 tax return available
because you will need to
know 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 on-line.
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See answers to frequently asked tax questions.
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Search publications on-line by topic or keyword.
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Figure your withholding allowances using our Form W-4 calculator.
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Send us comments or request help by e-mail.
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Sign up to receive local and national tax news by e-mail.
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Get information on starting and operating a small business.
You can also reach us using File Transfer Protocol at ftp.irs.gov.
Fax. You can get over 100 of the most requested forms and instructions 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, by fax. Just call
703–368–9694 from your fax machine. Follow the directions from the prompts. When you order forms, enter the catalog number for
the form you need. The items you request will be faxed to you.
For help with transmission problems, call 703–487–4608.
Long-distance charges may apply.
Phone. 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 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 or
account questions or to order forms and publications.
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TeleTax topics. Call 1–800–829–4477 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 2003 refund, call 1–800–829–4477
for automated refund information and follow the recorded instructions 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) and have your 2003 tax return available because
you will need to know
your filing status and the exact whole dollar amount of your refund.
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. 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 to ask tax questions or get help with a tax
problem. An employee can explain IRS letters, request adjustments to your account, or help you set up a payment plan. You
can set up an appointment by
calling your local Center and, at the prompt, leaving a message requesting Everyday Tax Solutions help. 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 or look in the phone book
under “United States Government, Internal Revenue Service.”
Mail. You can send your order for forms, instructions, and publications to the Distribution Center nearest to you and receive a
response
within 10 workdays after your request is received. Use the address that applies to your part of the country.
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Western part of U.S.:
Western Area Distribution Center
Rancho Cordova, CA 95743–0001
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Central part of U.S.:
Central Area Distribution Center
P.O. Box 8903
Bloomington, IL 61702–8903
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Eastern part of U.S. and foreign addresses:
Eastern Area Distribution Center
P.O. Box 85074
Richmond, VA 23261–5074
CD-ROM for tax products. You can order IRS Publication 1796, Federal Tax Products on CD-ROM, and obtain:
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Current-year forms, instructions, and publications.
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Prior-year forms and instructions.
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Frequently requested tax forms that may be filled in electronically, printed out for submission, and saved for recordkeeping.
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Internal Revenue Bulletins.
Buy the CD-ROM from National Technical Information Service (NTIS) on the Internet at www.irs.gov/cdorders for $22 (no handling fee) or
call 1–877–233–6767 toll free to buy the CD-ROM for $22 (plus a $5 handling fee). The first release is available in early
January and the final release is available in late February.
CD-ROM for small businesses. IRS Publication 3207, Small Business Resource Guide, is a must for every small business owner or
any taxpayer about to start a business. This handy, interactive CD contains all the business tax forms, instructions and publications
needed to
successfully manage a business. In addition, the CD provides an abundance of other helpful information, such as how to prepare
a business plan,
finding financing for your business, and much more. The design of the CD makes finding information easy and quick and incorporates
file formats and
browsers that can be run on virtually any desktop or laptop computer.
It is available in early April. You can get a free copy by calling 1–800–829–3676 or by visiting the web site at
www.irs.gov/smallbiz.
