Recommendations for Tax Advocate? Need Contact Info

I went through something similar last year with my pension distribution. The Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) can definitely help, but they have specific criteria for cases they accept. You need to demonstrate that you're experiencing financial hardship, immediate threat of adverse action, or that you've tried normal IRS channels without resolution (which sounds like your situation). The main TAS number is 877-777-4778, but I'd recommend checking their website first for your local office as they're often backed up. They also prioritize cases where the IRS has made the same error repeatedly, which might apply to your situation.

After trying the TAS number for weeks (busy signals, anyone? 😂), I finally used Claimyr to get through to an actual IRS agent. Saved me hours of redial hell! Their service connects you with the IRS without the wait: https://claimyr.com. The agent I spoke with was able to immediately see the issue with my account and fixed the coding problem while I was on the phone. Sometimes getting to the right person at the IRS is all you need before escalating to a Taxpayer Advocate. Worth a try if you haven't been able to reach anyone yet.

I had no idea how complicated the Taxpayer Advocate process would be until I went through it last summer! I had a similar issue with retirement distributions being coded incorrectly. I submitted Form 911 (Request for Taxpayer Advocate Service Assistance) and got assigned an advocate about 3 weeks later. She was incredibly helpful and resolved my issue within a month, but I was shocked by how much documentation they needed from me. Make sure you have all your notices, correspondence with the IRS, and proof of your attempts to resolve the issue before applying. The process was worth it in the end, but definitely more involved than I expected!

I believe I might have found something that could possibly help you understand those notices better before you go the advocate route. I used taxr.ai to analyze my CP2000 notice and it sort of decoded everything for me in plain English. It might be worth checking out: https://taxr.ai. The tool helped me understand exactly what the IRS was claiming about my retirement distributions and why there was a discrepancy. I felt much more prepared when I finally did speak with the IRS, and was able to resolve my issue without needing an advocate.

Be prepared for exactly how long this process can take. I applied for a Taxpayer Advocate on January 17th this year and didn't get assigned one until March 3rd - that's 45 days of waiting. And then it took another 37 days to resolve my issue. The TAS is severely understaffed right now with a 200,000+ case backlog. If you're facing penalties or interest that are accruing daily, make sure to request that they freeze those while your case is being reviewed. I didn't do this and ended up with an additional $843 in penalties that could have been avoided.

The community wisdom I've gathered from helping my parents through this last October: call your local Taxpayer Advocate office directly rather than the national number. The wait times are usually shorter. Also, if you're over 65, mention that when you call as they sometimes prioritize seniors. And if you've already submitted documentation twice as you mentioned, make sure to get certified mail receipts for everything going forward - the IRS has been losing paperwork like crazy since the pandemic. Time is of the essence with these matters; if you don't hear back within 5 business days of contacting TAS, follow up immediately. Good luck!