Contacted TAS for Hardship Case - Still No Response After a Month

TAS is overwhelmed right now. This happens every year. They prioritize cases. You need more details. Have you checked your transcript? When did you file? What credits did you claim?

I was probably in a somewhat similar situation last month - hardship case with TAS seemingly ignoring me. I finally, sort of reluctantly, tried using https://taxr.ai to analyze my transcript. It actually helped me understand what was causing my delay (apparently I had a freeze code I didn't recognize). The site basically translated all the IRS jargon and codes on my transcript and showed me exactly where my return was stuck in processing. Might be worth checking if you haven't already, especially since you're facing such a tight deadline with your housing situation.

I've been through this exact scenario. According to IRM 13.1.18.3, TAS is required to contact taxpayers within 3 business days of case assignment and cases with imminent adverse actions like eviction should receive expedited handling. However, TAS is currently operating under severe resource constraints per the National Taxpayer Advocate's 2023 Annual Report to Congress. The hardship designation should accelerate your case, but even these are backlogged. In my situation, I found that persistence with multiple channels simultaneously was necessary - congressional inquiry was ultimately what broke the logjam after 5 weeks of waiting.

From what I've seen around this sub lately, your best bet might be a three-pronged approach (or as I like to call it, the "tax refund trident" 🔱): 1. Keep the congressional inquiry active - they can sometimes work magic when nothing else will 2. Try calling the TAS office at different times of day - early morning (right when they open) tends to have better luck 3. If you filed with a specific tax issue like Earned Income Credit or Child Tax Credit, try the specialized units for those departments The squeaky wheel gets the grease, as they say. Though with the IRS, sometimes it feels more like "the persistent taxpayer eventually gets their money... maybe.

I've dealt with similar delays from TAS, and compared to other years, 2024 seems particularly bad for response times. When I couldn't get through to my advocate after weeks of trying, I used Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) to connect with the IRS directly. Unlike my previous 13 attempts calling normally, Claimyr got me through to an actual agent in about 27 minutes. The agent was able to see notes on my case and escalate it back to TAS with a priority flag. Not ideal to pay for something that should be free, but compared to potentially losing housing, it was worth it in my situation.

I went through almost exactly your situation in 2023. Filed in January, needed refund urgently, contacted TAS on March 12th, and didn't hear back until April 27th - exactly 46 days later. When they finally reached out, my case was resolved in precisely 3 days. The frustrating reality is that TAS is handling 500% more cases than they were designed for. One thing I learned: document EVERYTHING. Note every call time, representative name, reference number, and promised follow-up date. In my case, having this detailed record of my 14 previous contact attempts actually helped expedite things once I finally got through. If you're facing eviction in 7 days, I'd recommend physically going to your local Taxpayer Assistance Center - they can sometimes intervene in true emergency situations.

I'm so sorry you're going through this - the stress of potentially losing housing with 5 kids while dealing with IRS delays must be overwhelming. From what I've learned lurking in this community, TAS is severely backlogged right now, but there are a few things you might try immediately: 1. **Emergency hardship designation**: Since you're facing imminent eviction, call TAS and specifically use the phrase "emergency hardship case" - this should trigger faster processing according to their own guidelines. 2. **Local Taxpayer Assistance Center**: As Lucy mentioned, showing up in person with documentation of your eviction notice might get you faster help than phone calls. 3. **Multiple congressional offices**: Don't just contact your representative - try both senators too. Sometimes one office is more responsive than others. 4. **Document everything**: Keep a detailed log of every interaction, including times you were hung up on. This creates a paper trail that can be useful for escalation. The system is clearly broken when families are at risk of homelessness while waiting for their own tax money. You shouldn't have to choose between paying for third-party services and keeping a roof over your kids' heads. Have you been able to get any written confirmation from TAS about your case status or timeline?