IRS to Open Taxpayer Assistance Centers on Saturdays

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) building in Washington, on Jan. 4, 2024. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced it will open several of its Taxpayer Assistance Centers (TACs) on Saturdays across the country to help citizens who are not able to visit these sites at regular hours.

Taxpayers visit TACs to get in-person help from IRS employees. TACs are typically open Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., with people required to make appointments. The special Saturday hours “are designed to help those with busy weekday work schedules get the help they need at a time more convenient for them,” said IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel. The Saturday services will be available from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on four days: Feb. 24, March 16, April 13, and May 18.

“Offices in dozens of states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico will be open during this special four-month event, with no appointments required,” the IRS said. During these hours, taxpayers can walk in and access all services routinely offered at an IRS office, except making cash payments.

For the Feb. 24 event, more than 50 TACs are expected to take part. And for the March 16 event, over 70 offices are estimated to participate. IRS has published the full list of locations.

Before visiting TACs, taxpayers should bring a photo identification; Social Security numbers or individual taxpayer identification numbers (TIN); IRS letters, notices, or documents they received; and two forms of identification as well as a copy of the tax return on which they have questions.

During the visit, IRS employees may also ask for information regarding the taxpayer’s current mailing address as well as proof of bank account information included on a tax return.

“Professional foreign language interpretation will be available in many languages through an over-the-phone translation service,” the agency stated.

“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.”

The IRS advised taxpayers that before coming to TACs, they should first check the agency’s website to see if there are resources that clear up their doubts.

Extended Timings

The new expanded Saturday timings come after the IRS announced in January that nearly 250 TACs nationwide will have extended operating hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays during the 2024 filing season.

The extended hours will remain in effect till April 16. Individuals can visit the IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center Office Locator to find a local TAC and their operational timings.

“We’re inviting anyone who wants or needs some assistance to stop by,” IRS Wage & Investment Division Commissioner and Taxpayer Experience Officer Ken Corbin said at the time.

“This is one more way the IRS is delivering expanded services to help visitors resolve their tax issues, make a payment, or answer general tax-related questions. Whatever the case, we’re offering additional time for taxpayers to get the face-to-face help they may need.

Mr. Werfel credited funding from the Inflation Reduction Act for enabling the IRS to “expand our services, tools, and resources for hard-working taxpayers, including these special Saturday openings.”

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) provided the IRS with $79.4 billion in supplemental funding that is available for the agency until September 2031. The IRS had set aside $3.2 billion from these funds to boost taxpayer services.

The IRS’s push to improve taxpayer service comes as the agency was put under the scanner during a joint subcommittee hearing in October last year.

Rep. Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) said during the hearing that some of her constituents complained about call wait times when dialing the IRS. A few of them tried to get in touch with the IRS for several months but could not.

Ms. McClain said that even she had faced such difficulties. “If a private business did what the IRS does on a daily basis, it would quickly go out of business.”

In a letter to the Treasury secretary last month, a group of 12 attorneys general pointed out that the IRS only answered 2 percent of the calls received to its official helpline in 2021. And in 2022, the agency had a backlog of 21.3 million returns.

Tax Preparation

While TACs offer several services, tax return preparation is not among them. Americans who face difficulties preparing taxes can approach IRS’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) programs, provided they meet certain eligibility requirements.

The VITA service, which has been in operation for more than five decades, offers free basic tax return preparation service to individuals making less than $64,000 annually, people with disabilities, and those who have limited ability to speak English.

“The TCE program offers free tax help, particularly for those who are 60 years of age and older, specializing in questions about pensions and retirement-related issues unique to seniors.”

Though the IRS manages both these programs, the initiatives are not staffed by agency employees. Instead, it is staffed by volunteers certified by the agency. Such volunteers tend to be retired individuals associated with NGOs receiving grants from the IRS.

“Each filing season, tens of thousands of dedicated VITA/TCE volunteers prepare millions of federal and state returns. They also assist taxpayers with the preparation of thousands of Facilitated Self-Assistance returns.”