Daily Blog

Success Story: Taxpayer Advocate Service advocates for alternative approach to expense verification in correspondence audit

Every year, the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) helps thousands of people with tax problems. This story is only one of many examples of how TAS helps resolve taxpayer’s tax issues. All personal details are removed to protect the taxpayer’s privacy. Audits can be a very scary and daunting task for taxpayers who travel for business. Recordkeeping requirements involve taxpayers keeping...

TAS TAX TIP: Filing Past Due Tax Returns

Did you forget to file your 2018 tax return by April 15, 2019? Have you not filed tax returns for several years? If the answer is yes to either, here’s some information to help you catch up with your filing requirements. It’s important to file past due tax returns before the IRS does it for you (see Consequences of Not Filing below). First, figure out if you need to file a federal i...

Advocate Releases EITC Special Report, Taxpayer Journey Roadmap

Learn more about the Taxpayers Journey Roadmap: taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/roadmap. National Taxpayer Advocate Nina E. Olson today released a special report on the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), a call to action, with recommendations designed to increase the participation rate of eligible taxpayers and reduce overclaims by ineligible taxpayers. Also today, for the first time ever, th...

NTA Blog: Happy Fourth of July

Subscribe to the NTA’s Blog and receive updates on the latest blog posts from National Taxpayer Advocate Nina E. Olson. Additional blogs from the National Taxpayer Advocate can be found at www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/blog So that our staff can enjoy the Independence Day festivities with family and friends, we are taking a break this week from posting our blog. We want to wish everyone ...

NTA Blog: The IRS's Position on the Application of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act to the Social Security Requirement Under Internal Revenue Code § 24(h)(7) Has the Effect of Denying Child Tax Credit Benefits to the Amish and Certain Other Religious Groups

Subscribe to the NTA’s Blog and receive updates on the latest blog posts from National Taxpayer Advocate Nina E. Olson. Additional blogs from the National Taxpayer Advocate can be found at www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/blog As part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) passed in December 2017, the Child Tax Credit (CTC) (Internal Revenue Code (IRC) § 24) was amended to require a Socia...

TAS Tax Tip: Use your 2018 return to get 2019 tax withholding right

Done with taxes this year? Then use your 2018 return to get your 2019 tax withholding right. It’s very important to have the correct amount of taxes withheld from your paycheck. Use the IRS Withholding Calculator and your 2018 tax return information to adjust your withholdings to ensure you don’t have too little or too much withheld.  Checking and then adjusting tax withholding...

NTA Blog: National Taxpayer Advocate Nina Olson Issues Her Final Report to Congress Today

Subscribe to the NTA’s Blog and receive updates on the latest blog posts from National Taxpayer Advocate Nina E. Olson. Additional blogs from the National Taxpayer Advocate can be found at www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/blog Today I am issuing my 37th, and final, Report to Congress as National Taxpayer Advocate. With my pending July 31 retirement creeping ever closer, I have approached th...

National Taxpayer Advocate releases Fiscal Year 2020 Objectives Report

The National Taxpayer Advocate released her Fiscal Year 2020 Objectives Report to Congress today. In the report, she addresses key IRS challenges, reviews the 2019 filing season, and identifies TAS’s priority issues for fiscal year (FY) 2020.  Key IRS Challenges Taxpayer Service: The report says poor taxpayer service remains the biggest challenge taxpayers face in dealing with the I...

NTA Blog: Why We Should Repeal the Flora Rule or Find Another Way to Give Taxpayers Who Cannot Pay the Same Access to Judicial Review as Those Who Can (Part 3 of 3)

Subscribe to the NTA’s Blog and receive updates on the latest blog posts from National Taxpayer Advocate Nina E. Olson. Additional blogs from the National Taxpayer Advocate can be found at www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/blog Two weeks ago, I discussed how the Flora rule blocks access to judicial review by low income taxpayers and those subject to “assessable penalties.” Last w...

TAS Tax Tip: I got an IRS notice; now what do I do?

The IRS will send a notice or a letter for any number of reasons. It may be about a specific issue on your federal tax return or account, explain changes to your account, ask for more information, or request a payment. You can handle most of this correspondence without calling or visiting an IRS office if you follow the instructions in the notice. However, sometimes these communications can be ...