EXPANDED IN-PERSON SERVICE TO REACH RURAL, UNDERSERVED TAXPAYERS:

IRS has hired nearly 700 employees to open or reopen 42 Taxpayer Assistance Centers across the country, while also starting a special series of events to help taxpayers living in areas far from the agency’s in-person offices.

Pop-Up Taxpayer Assistance Centers: With new Pop-Up Taxpayer Assistance Centers, IRS is giving taxpayers from hard-to-reach areas an opportunity to meet face-to-face with IRS customer service representatives. IRS conducted the first events in June in Paris, Texas; July in Alpena, Michigan; and in August in Hastings, Nebraska and Twin Falls, Idaho. Currently, four additional locations have been identified to host Pop-Up Taxpayer Assistance Centers - Juneau, Alaska; Lihue, Hawaii; Baker City, Oregon; and Gallup, New Mexico. Among the highlights:

o IRS Field Assistance helped an 81-year-old taxpayer who was the victim of identity theft. She lives on Social Security, and her benefits were suspended due to income falsely reported under her Social Security number. Her son drove her to the event, and IRS employees helped her report the identify theft issue and provided a letter for her to take to the Social Security Administration.

o IRS Field Assistance helped a taxpayer who drove more than three hours to the event because she did not receive her last federal refund. IRS employees researched her account and verified the date her refund would go out and showed her how to use the Where’s My Refund tool in the future to research a refund.

o IRS Field Assistance helped a couple from Nebraska who survived a tornado. Their tax accountant’s business and their tax records were destroyed. Notices had been sent to the accountant, but the couple never received them. IRS employees checked their account to help them respond to the notices.