Thumbs Up: The IRS: On Your Side?

Note:

When you get into a showdownwith the IRS, it may seem asthough it's you and your accountantagainst them. It doesn't necessarilyhave to be that way. There's a divisionof the IRS set up primarily to helptaxpayers in their dealings with theagency. Known as the TaxpayerAdvocate Service (TAS; www.irs.gov/advocate), the division works mainlyto remedy mix-ups that taxpayershaven't been able to resolve throughregular IRS channels. The TAS getsinvolved in a broad range of problems,from tracking down refunds tostraightening out payroll tax issues,the source of one of the division'smost common problems. Althoughthere's a formal set of qualifications to be eligible to use the TAS,few taxpayers are turned away.