IRS Seeks to Bridge the Distance Gap to Better Serve Taxpayers

IRS continues reopening closed Taxpayer Assistance Centers; begins special series of Community Assistance Visits to help taxpayers in 8 states to expand service for people who aren't near agency offices

Agency continues reopening walk-in offices; 35 TACs reopened or added following Inflation Reduction Act funding

July 14, 2023

WASHINGTON — As part of an expanding effort to improve service, the Internal Revenue Service continues expanding Taxpayer Assistance Centers across the country while also starting a special series of events to help taxpayers located in areas not close to the agency's in-person offices.

In these new Community Assistance Visits, the IRS will set up a temporary Taxpayer Assistance Center to give taxpayers from underserved areas an opportunity to meet face-to-face with IRS assistors. This is part of a larger effort underway to transform the IRS and improve service to taxpayers as part of the new Strategic Operating Plan with funding made available through the Inflation Reduction Act.

The IRS conducted the first event last month in Paris, Texas, and has plans to hold similar events in more states. Currently, seven additional locations have been determined in Michigan, Nebraska, Idaho, Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon and New Mexico.

“A key part of the IRS transformation effort will be getting taxpayers the help they need,” said IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel. “While an important part of this involves providing improved online tools and services, in-person assistance is a vital piece that the IRS cannot overlook. We continue to add staff and reopen previously closed offices. But to help people farther away, these special community visits are designed to get into places where IRS offices are a long distance away or are not convenient for some taxpayers. We want to do more to help taxpayers, and the IRS is putting our additional funding to work through important projects like this.”

The Inflation Reduction Act, approved in August, provided the IRS long-term funding for the agency to transform its operations and improve taxpayer service, enforcement and technology. Projects like the Community Assistance Visits represent part of the IRS Strategic Operating Plan, the blueprint for the agency's transformation work.

For years, observers have noted that IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers were too limited in number or are too far to help many people who need in-person assistance or who don't have access to online tools.

To address this, the IRS has opened or reopened 35 Taxpayer Assistance Centers since the Inflation Reduction Act funding was approved at locations across the country; a full list is below. In addition, the IRS has hired more than 600 personnel in TACs to provide in-person assistance.

The IRS believes Community Assistance Visits will help address the needs of taxpayers who aren't able to visit an in-person office. Paris, Texas was selected, in part, based on its distance to the closest permanent IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center. The nearest center is about 90 miles away.

Currently, the IRS plans to hold additional Community Assistance Visits in at least seven locations through October. The initial list includes Alpena, Michigan; Hastings, Nebraska; Twin Falls, Idaho; Juneau, Alaska; Lihue, Hawaii; Baker City, Oregon; and Gallup, New Mexico.

For the Paris visit, the IRS partnered with the local United Way organization. The IRS will be working with other community groups for future visits to obtain secure space to help taxpayers. To get help, taxpayers must bring current state or government issued photo identification and any relevant letters or notices they received from the IRS, plus any requested documents.

During the event, the IRS also welcomes tax professionals, lawyers and preparers and their clients to work account-related issues.

During the Community Assistance Visit, taxpayers can meet one-on-one with IRS assistors to receive these services:

• Account inquiries (help with letters, notices and levies on wages or bank account).

• Adjustments (changes to tax account information or payments).

• Basic tax law assistance (answers related to individual federal tax returns).

• Payment arrangements. Because this is a temporary location, IRS assistors cannot accept payments of any kind. Taxpayers are encouraged to make payments online.

• Authentication of taxpayer identities as part of the Taxpayer Protection Program (TPP).

• Transcripts and tax forms (order only).

• Information on IRS.gov resources and tools.

Professional foreign language interpretation will be available in many languages through an over-the-phone translation service. For deaf or hard of hearing individuals who need sign language interpreter services, IRS staff will schedule appointments for a later date. Alternatively, these individuals can call TTY/TDD 800-829-4059 to make an appointment.

Taxpayers who would like to get help can call 844-545-5640 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., to make an appointment to visit an existing IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center. Contact Your Local Office has information for IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers.

List of reopened Taxpayer Assistance Centers since August 2022 following Inflation Reduction Act funding

City	State
Lincoln	NE
La Vale	MD
Altoona	PA
Fredericksburg	VA
Parkersburg	WV
Bend	OR
Greenville	MS
Trenton	NJ
Bellingham	WA
Augusta	ME
Jackson	TN
Joplin	MO
Colorado Springs	CO
Glendale	AZ
Cranberry Township	PA
La Crosse	WI
Charlottesville	VA
Queensbury	NY
Santa Fe	NM
Longview	TX
Overland Park	KS
West Nyack	NY
Binghamton	NY
Casper	WY
Fort Myers	FL
Grand Junction	CO
Rockford	IL
Hagerstown	MD
DASE (Guaynabo)	PR
Johnson City	TN
Prestonsburg	KY
Vienna	VA
Greensboro	NC
Bloomington	IL
Ponce	PR
*Highlighted locations are TACs that have been added. The others were reopened. [Editor's Note: Bolded text indicates highlighted text in original document]