Tax Resolution Clarity

How do I get free help with an IRS tax problem?

Two routes the IRS funds and names on its own notices, and neither costs anything.

The IRS names two free routes on the collection notices themselves, which is the most reliable signal that they exist.

Low Income Taxpayer Clinics. The IRS states on notice after notice: "See if you qualify for help from a Low Income Taxpayer Clinic." It funds them, and it describes them as representing people for free or for a small fee. They are independent of the IRS.

The Taxpayer Advocate Service. The IRS describes it as "an independent organization within IRS" and names it on its notices for people who cannot resolve a problem through normal channels. On LT19 it gives the numbers directly: 877-777-4778, or TTY/TTD 800-829-4059. Where a Collection Statute Expiration Date computation is in dispute, the IRS points to the Taxpayer Advocate Service and Form 911.

There is a third thing worth knowing, which is not help but is free: you can authorise someone to deal with the IRS for you on Form 2848, and you can see your own account — including the collection statute date — on an account transcript at no charge.

The IRS also states, on the notice that matters most for cost, that the fee for setting up an installment agreement may be waived or reimbursed for low-income taxpayers, and that Form 13844 is how a low-income determination is contested.

The records this answer comes from

Taxpayer Advocate ServiceForm 2848Tax account transcriptDoing it yourself vs. hiring someone

This page exists because no single one of those answers the question on its own. The answer spans two organisations, several notices and a form. /contact/ is about contacting this site, which is a different question.

Sources

Sourced to primary IRS materials and editorially reviewed. Not reviewed by a tax professional. Not tax advice.