Case Advocacy
TAS case advocates assist taxpayers in every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and at each IRS campus. Because advocates are part of the IRS, they know the tax system and how to navigate it. Qualifying taxpayers will receive personalized service from a knowledgeable advocate who will:
- Listen to their problems,
- Help them understand what needs to be done to resolve the problems, and
- Stay with them every step of the way until the problems are resolved.
The Getting to Know TAS video features TAS employees talking about how they help taxpayers. Below are some statistics about TAS case advocacy:
- TAS received 274,051 new cases in the 2008 fiscal year, an increase of approximately 37,000 from fiscal year 2007.
- Nearly 40 percent of the cases (109,380) were referrals from the IRS's operating divisions and functions. Approximately 30 percent came from the NTA toll-free telephone line.
- TAS received 25,759 cases related to the Economic Stimulus Payments issued by the federal government.
- The top ten issues in TAS case inventory for fiscal year 2008 were the following:
Rank |
Description of Issue |
FY 2008 Cases |
FY 2007 Cases |
Percent |
1 |
Processing Amended Returns |
21,963 |
16,267 |
35% |
2 |
Levies (including the Federal Payment Levy Program) |
17,082 |
18,665 |
-8.5% |
3 |
Other Refund Inquiries/Issues |
14,817 |
4,631 |
220% |
4 |
Injured Spouse Claim |
14,238 |
8,295 |
71.6% |
5 |
Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) – Revenue Protection Strategy Claims |
13,489 |
16,081 |
-16.1% |
6 |
Reconsideration of Substitute for Return under IRC § 6020(b) and Audits |
12,419 |
12,331 |
0.7% |
7 |
Expedite Refund Request |
11,376 |
9,627 |
18.2% |
8 |
Criminal Investigation |
10,152 |
11,846 |
-14.3% |
9 |
Processing Original Return |
10,021 |
9,290 |
7.9% |
10 |
Automated Underreporter Examination Completed |
9,594 |
9,125 |
5.1% |
- Most taxpayers who contact TAS do so because they are experiencing a systemic burden caused by a process, procedure, or system within the IRS that failed to operate as intended or failed to resolve the taxpayer’s problem. The volume of systemic burden receipts rose by 19,855 cases in FY 2008.
- TAS receipts have risen 38.6 percent since FY 2005, while the number of case advocates needed to work these cases declined until FY 2008. TAS conducted a major hiring initiative in FY 2008, bringing staffing levels close to what they were at the end of FY 2005.
