Overseas Taxpayers Experiencing Problems with the IRS May Be Eligible for Assistance from the Taxpayer Advocate Service
On Thursday December 9, 2021 Edwin Colon, the Acting Local Taxpayer Advocate (LTA) for Puerto Rico and International, made a presentation to a group of Board and other AARO members about the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS).
Those attending the meeting learned that:
- TAS is an independent organization within the IRS;
- TAS’s purpose is four-fold: (i) to assist taxpayers with individual issues with the IRS, (ii) to identify systemic issues experienced by multiple taxpayers, (iii) to propose changes in the administrative practices of the IRS to mitigate problems, and (iv) to identity potential legislative changes to mitigate problems;
- TAS’s services to taxpayers are free of charge;
- There are no income limits for eligibility for TAS services but there are other eligibility criteria. They include (i) the immediate threat of an adverse financial or other action, and (ii) the inability to resolve the issue through the IRS’s normal channels.
TAS has an online tool that can assist taxpayers to understand if they are eligible for TAS services. The tool is available at this link.
TAS has at least one office in every state as well as in the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The TAS office in Puerto Rico is responsible for overseas taxpayers.
For overseas taxpayers who are eligible for TAS services, they may contact the Puerto Rico office by phone at +1-787-522-8601 (English) or +1-787-522-8600 (Spanish).
Taxpayers requesting TAS assistance will also need to download and complete Form 911.
For more information, see the TAS website.
