Has anyone successfully walked into an IRS office for help during an audit review?
I'm under review for my 2023 tax return and it's been dragging on for months. I filed in April 2024 and got a letter in May saying they were reviewing my return. It's now October and I've called the IRS countless times but keep getting the runaround. I'm thinking about just showing up at my local IRS office to get some actual answers. Has anyone done this successfully? Did they help you or just tell you to wait? My return has about $7,200 in refund that I really need, and I'm getting desperate at this point. The IRS website is useless and the phone lines just keep me on hold forever.
51 comments
Liam Duke
I actually did this about three months ago for a similar situation. I was under review for my 2022 return that I filed in March 2024. The key is to make an appointment first through the IRS website - don't just show up. I scheduled mine, waited about 2 weeks, and then went in person. The agent was surprisingly helpful and could see exactly what was holding up my review (missing W2 information that my employer apparently never submitted correctly). She couldn't resolve it on the spot, but she did put notes in my file and gave me specific instructions on what documents to mail in. My review was completed about 3 weeks later and I got my refund ($5,800) shortly after. Definitely worth trying if you're stuck in limbo.
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Dana Doyle
Thank you so much for this! I didn't even realize I could schedule an appointment through their website. How long did the actual meeting take once you got there?
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Liam Duke
The meeting itself was maybe 30 minutes. I brought ALL my tax documents with me which helped. They were running behind tho so I waited almost an hour past my appointment time 🙄
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Manny Lark
This is exactly why I hate the irs. Even with appointments they cant be on time lol
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Liam Duke
Yeah but still better than endless phone calls that go nowhere!
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Rita Jacobs
I've been there, trying to figure out what's happening with my tax review was driving me crazy. I finally found this tool called taxr.ai that literally saved me weeks of stress. It analyzed my transcript and explained exactly why my refund was delayed and what stage of review I was in. It even told me the estimated completion date based on similar cases! So much better than trying to decode those cryptic transcript codes myself or waiting on hold forever. I use it to check my status weekly now and it's insanely good! https://taxr.ai
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Khalid Howes
Sounds interesting. How exactly does it work? Does it just read your transcript or does it do more?
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Rita Jacobs
It does WAY more than just read the transcript. It analyzes all your codes, explains what each one means specifically for YOUR situation, and gives you a timeline based on similar cases. It also tells you what actions you should take (if any) and what to expect next. Seriously a game changer - I was so confused before this.
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Khalid Howes
Just tried it and WOW! This thing is incredible! It told me exactly why my refund was delayed (something about a matching issue with my reported income) and gave me a specific timeline. I've been stressing for months and now I finally understand what's happening. EVERYONE dealing with IRS issues needs to know about this!
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Ben Cooper
I tried going in person without an appointment back in June and they wouldnt even let me in the building. Complete waste of time. Found a different solution though - I used this calling app from claimyr.com that got me through to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes. The agent pulled up my file and saw that they needed additional verification for my dependent claim. Finally got my refund two weeks after that call. After months of getting nowhere, talking to a real person solved everything - it was the best money I've ever spent to get answers about my return.
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Naila Gordon
Wait so you had to pay for this? Why would anyone pay to talk to the IRS? Seems sketchy.
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Ben Cooper
After spending HOURS of my life on hold getting nowhere, and potentially losing a $6k refund? Yeah, it was worth every penny. The service just helps you skip the endless hold times. The agents are actual IRS employees, not third party.
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Cynthia Love
I used it too! Got connected in like 15 mins when I had been trying for weeks to get through. Talking to an agent got my refund released so fast
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Naila Gordon
Hmm maybe I'll try it. Been on hold for literally 2+ hours multiple times this week 😭
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Darren Brooks
I worked for the IRS for 12 years (retired in 2022). Let me tell you something - walking in CAN work, but you MUST have an appointment. The Taxpayer Assistance Centers are not equiped for walk-ins anymore since COVID. Schedule through the IRS website or call 844-545-5640 to make an appointment. Bring every document related to your return, your ID, and a copy of the letter they sent you. The person helping you might not have authority to resolve your specific issue on the spot, but they can see whats going on and often escalate it properly. Just be polite - the folks at the TACs deal with angry people all day and being nice will get you better service.
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Rosie Harper
This is super helpful info, thanks for sharing! Do you have any other insider tips for dealing with the IRS effectively?
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Darren Brooks
Always keep copies of EVERYTHING you send them. Use certified mail with return receipt if you mail anything. Call early in the morning (7am-8am est) for shortest wait times. And if someone tells you something over the phone, ask for their employee ID number and write down the date/time - you may need to reference that conversation later.
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Dana Doyle
Thank you for this! I'm definitely going to make an appointment.
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Elliott luviBorBatman
Walking in is a waste of time now. I tried it twice for my 2021 return issue and they just told me to call the main number or wait. The whole system is broken. Been waiting 9 months for my refund and nobody can tell me anything useful.
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Demi Hall
Don't waste your time going in person without an appointment. They'll just turn you away. What finally worked for me was getting my congressman's office involved. I filed in February 2024, was under review, and after 5 months of nothing I contacted my representative. Their office has a dedicated caseworker for IRS issues who submitted an inquiry on my behalf. Had my $8,300 refund within 3 weeks after that. Worth a try if you're desperate.
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Mateusius Townsend
I second this! Congressional inquiries are like magic for stuck IRS cases. My refund was held up for 7 months until my senator's office got involved.
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Kara Yoshida
How do you even do this? Just call your congressman's office?
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Demi Hall
Yep! Google your representative's name + 'constituent services' and there's usually a form on their website. They have caseworkers who handle these exact situations all day long.
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Philip Cowan
the IRS is literally the worst government agency on the planet. i filed in march 2024 and still waiting on my refund too. every time i call they say 'just keep waiting' like wtf am i supposed to do with that?? 🤮
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Caesar Grant
Preach! It's unreal how they can just hold our money hostage with no explanation. Like hello??? That's MY money you're sitting on! 💅
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Lena Schultz
I've heard mixed things about in-person visits, but what helped me was getting an actual tax transcript and having a pro look at it. You can request one online through the IRS website. The transcript has codes that tell you exactly what's happening with your return. Mine showed code 570 (audit hold) followed by 571 (audit resolved) but no refund date. Called and they released it the next day.
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Gemma Andrews
Those transcript codes might as well be written in ancient hieroglyphics lol. I stared at mine for hours and had no idea what was going on.
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Lena Schultz
Haha true! I used taxr.ai to decipher mine and it was super helpful. Told me exactly what each code meant for my situation and what to do next.
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Pedro Sawyer
YES! I did this successfully last year! I was stuck in review hell for my 2022 taxes (filed Feb 2023) and after getting nowhere for 6 months, I finally made an appointment at my local IRS office in Phoenix. The woman helping me was able to see that there was a discrepancy between what my employer reported and what I reported (difference of $142). She helped me file an amended return right there and told me exactly when to expect my refund. Got it 3 weeks later!
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Mae Bennett
Whatever you do, DON'T just show up without an appointment. They won't let you in. Schedule through the IRS website, current wait time in my area (Chicago) is about 2-3 weeks for an appointment. Worth the wait though if your case is stuck.
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Beatrice Marshall
Can confirm this is true in Atlanta too. My buddy tried walking in and security literally wouldn't let him in the building.
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Melina Haruko
After being stuck on hold with the IRS for literally 3+ hours multiple times, I finally got through using Claimyr. It was the only way I could talk to a live agent. They called me when an agent was ready (took about 25 min) and I finally got answers about my review. Turns out they needed verification of my education credits but never sent me the letter requesting it! Got everything resolved and my refund came 2 weeks later. claimyr.com saved me so much frustration.
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Dallas Villalobos
does it actually work? seems too good to be true
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Melina Haruko
Yeah it really does. I was super skeptical too but was desperate after trying to call for weeks. They just navigate the phone system for you and call you when they reach a human. Saved me hours of hold music torture lol
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Dallas Villalobos
Just tried it and it WORKED!!! Got through to an agent in 20 minutes after trying unsuccessfully for days. The agent fixed my issue in 5 minutes. This service is a lifesaver!
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Reina Salazar
If you do go in person, bring EVERYTHING - all tax documents, multiple forms of ID, the letter they sent you, etc. I had an appointment and the agent couldn't help me because I didn't bring my spouse's ID (joint return). Had to reschedule and wasted a whole day. Don't make my mistake!
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Saanvi Krishnaswami
The IRS is completely overwhelmed right now. My tax guy says they're still dealing with a massive backlog from pandemic years plus all the new tax law changes. In-person might help but temper your expectations - they probably won't solve it on the spot. Seems like the fastest way is either a congressional inquiry or getting a Tax Advocate assigned to your case (but good luck getting one of those approved).
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Demi Lagos
can confirm, tried to get a tax advocate and was denied because my situation 'wasn't severe enough' even though i'm about to be evicted without my refund 🙃
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Mason Lopez
I had a different approach that worked. I filed Form 911 (Request for Taxpayer Advocate Service) explaining financial hardship because I needed my refund for medical bills. Got assigned an advocate within 2 weeks who pushed my review through. Worth a shot if you can demonstrate genuine hardship.
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Dana Doyle
I'll look into this option too, thanks! I am facing some financial difficulties right now.
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Vera Visnjic
just my 2 cents but every time ive dealt with irs in person the staff have been way more helpful than over the phone. its like they see ur a real human and actually want to help. make an appointment tho!!!
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Jake Sinclair
Something nobody mentioned - if you do get an in-person appointment, ASK FOR A DIRECT CONTACT NUMBER of the person helping you before you leave. My agent gave me her direct line and it was invaluable for follow-up questions. Not all will do this but it doesn't hurt to ask.
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Brielle Johnson
This is a pro tip right here ☝️
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Honorah King
Hey! So I was in your exact situation with my 2022 taxes. Stuck in review for months with no end in sight. I ended up using this tool called taxr.ai that analyzed my transcript and showed me exactly why my return was delayed and what I needed to do. Turns out there was a simple mismatch with my reported income that I was able to clear up with a quick form. The tool gave me step-by-step instructions and my refund was processed within weeks. Saved me so much time and stress compared to trying to figure it out myself! https://taxr.ai
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Dana Doyle
Thanks for sharing this! I'll check it out. Did it help you understand what was actually happening with your review?
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Honorah King
Absolutely! That was the best part - it explained exactly which stage of review I was in, why it was flagged, and gave me a timeline based on similar cases. It translated all those weird transcript codes into plain English. Before using it I was completely in the dark about what was happening.
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Oliver Brown
Make sure you check your tax transcript online before going in person!!! Sometimes all the info you need is right there in the codes. Helped me figure out exactly what was causing my delay without having to talk to anyone.
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Mary Bates
Do NOT waste your time going to an IRS office for a review issue! They will just tell you to wait. The only thing that worked for me was calling the main number (be prepared to wait 1-2 hours) and specifically asking for a manager when you finally get someone. The frontline reps have no authority to expedite anything, but managers sometimes do. This strategy got my review completed after 7 months of waiting.
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Clay blendedgen
I tried calling SO MANY TIMES and couldn't even get through. How did you manage to stay on hold that long without getting disconnected?
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Mary Bates
I used claimyr.com and it changed everything. Got through in under 30 mins when I had been trying unsuccessfully for weeks. Talking to the agent directly got my case moving finally.
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Ayla Kumar
I went in person for a different issue (identity verification) and they were super helpful, but for reviews/audits they probably won't be able to do much on the spot. Still, they can see notes in your file that you can't see online, so it might give you more info at least. Make sure to schedule an appointment tho - they don't take walk-ins anymore at most locations.
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