Contacting the IRS

There are many ways of contacting the IRS and people have many reasons to contact the IRS for. For example, you can find out the status of your IRS refund online but when there is a problem, you may need to contact the IRS by phone. When contacting the IRS, you need to know how to deal with the IRS so that you can get the answers that you need and avoid any problems or headache that may result from contacting the IRS.

What to do when contacting the IRS

When contacting the IRS, there are certain things to keep in mind. If you want to avoid any unnecessary problems with the IRS, do the followings when contacting the IRS.

Strictly follow the IRS deadlines

Many tax payers get into unnecessary trouble with the IRS because they don't do something when the IRS wants it done. The IRS does offer extensions for many of the tax filings but you still need to follow the IRS deadlines for tax filing and payment extensions. Not following the IRS deadlines will lead to unnecessary complications.

Contact the IRS in writing and keep records

If you are contacting the IRS for anything of consequences, it is best to do it in writing. You should keep a copy of every communication with the IRS for your records. If you need to communicate orally with the IRS, either in person or by telephone, you should follow up the conversation with the IRS with a letter documenting what was said and agreed to.

Since the IRS is such a big and complex organization, one division of the IRS may not be up to date with what another division of the IRS is doing. By keeping records of all your dealings with the IRS, you take control of your situation and also make your dealings with the IRS more trouble free. Record keeping may save your situation in case of a conflict between you and the IRS down the road of what was agreed orally.

Be specific when contacting the IRS

When you must contact the IRS (whether in writing, in person, or by telephone), be specific about what you want to accomplish, what the facts are, and what the tax laws say regarding the issue. Many tax payers create additional problems for themselves because they don't know what they want or what they are entitled to (tax wise), or they are unclear on the tax facts or tax law.

Get the IRS to agree

Most IRS employees are trained to question and disagree. If you make statements rather than ask questions, you are more likely to get the IRS to agree with you. For example, if you ask the IRS or an IRS employee if an expense is deductible, you will less likely to get a satisfactory answer. However, if you phrase your tax question as a statement, you will have better luck talking to the IRS or an IRS employee. For example, phrase your statement as "you would agree that an expense is deductible if it was incurred in the ordinary and necessary course of my business". The IRS employee will most likely agree with you this way.