When dealing with a death in the family, there are always numerous concerns. All too often, family of the deceased must first deal with the various issues of the estate instead of having an opportunity to mourn. The amount of personal information that must be sorted through and processed when closing a loved one’s affairs can be mind boggling. At a time when families need to gather together and grieve, their troubles are frequently compounded by a bureaucratic maze of forms and documents that must be completed and filed within a specific timeframe. 

This was the situation faced by Ms. Sharon Hess after her sister, Margaret, passed away. Sharon wanted nothing more than to wrap up her sister’s estate issues so that she could focus on finding closure, but was met with repeated roadblocks at the IRS. She wanted to pay Margaret’s final tax bill, but in order to do so, she needed the total amount of the bill. Unfortunately, the agency was unwilling to release the balance information.

Sharon called our office in hopes that we could intervene on her behalf and get the IRS to work with her. We contacted the Taxpayer Advocate Service, a division of the IRS dedicated solely to helping taxpayers deal with the agency. Upon our contact, a representative from their office contacted Sharon directly. The representative quickly verified all the information she needed to release the final balance due to Sharon. Shortly thereafter, Sharon was able to close out her sister’s final tax bill and focus on being with her family and finding closure.

The Taxpayer Advocate Service is available to everyone who is having trouble working with the IRS. Whether your dealing with a situation like Sharon’s, facing an impending audit, or just have a question about one of the many indecipherable tax forms that must be filed every year, they have a trained staff ready to answer your questions. We are always happy to contact them on your behalf, or you may contact then directly. The Kansas office of the Taxpayer Advocate Service can be reached at (316) 352-7506.            

 
Sharon Hess