Thursday, February 24, 2011

IRS Holds Saturday Open Houses on 02/26 and 03/26 to Help Taxpayers

Yesterday the IRS announced nearly 100 IRS offices will be open this Saturday, and again on March 26th to provide assistance to taxpayers. Excellent news for taxpayers who desperately need guidance, but strangely enough, work during business hours.

From IRS.gov:

"We are opening our doors on these Saturdays to help taxpayers who may not have a chance to seek assistance during the work week," said IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman. "If taxpayers need help preparing their tax returns or have an account question, we encourage them to visit one of our open houses."

On Saturday, Feb. 26, and Saturday, March 26, the IRS offices will be open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time. IRS staff will be on site to help taxpayers work through issues. More than 35,000 taxpayers attended similar events last year resolving over 95 percent of their issues.

During the open-house hours, IRS personnel will be available to provide services such as tax return preparation, assist with account questions and help with a variety of other issues. IRS offices in 10 locations will also offer free seminars designed to provide information on new tax laws affecting federal tax returns and detail other services provided by the IRS.

In addition to IRS help, community organizations partner with the IRS. Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) programs assist people who earned $49,000 or less, and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) programs assist individuals age 60 and over with their 2010 income tax return preparation and electronic filing. Many of these sites have Saturday hours while others offer assistance at various times during the week. Taxpayers can call 800-906-9887 to locate partner sites in their area.

Continue reading at IRS.gov...