Wednesday December 12, 2012
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IRS and Taxes FAQs
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See also:On this page, I have listed some questions that are frequently asked by constituents regarding the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). You are welcome to contact the staff in one of my Regional Offices to discuss your specific situation. Another good source of information is the IRS website. Publications and tax forms are available on that site for download for current and previous tax years.
- What is the local IRS phone number?
- What are my rights as a taxpayer?
- Can the Senator assist me with my tax return?
- How can I check on the status of my refund? How long does it take to receive a refund?
- I am concerned because the IRS has not yet cashed the payment I sent in with my taxes and it has been several weeks. What should I do?
- I lost my refund check. How do I get a new one?
- Does the IRS have any local offices in Idaho?
- How do I know if I qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)?
- Why do I have to pay taxes?
What is the local IRS phone number?
The IRS no longer has local phone numbers listed, but you can call a toll-free number, 1-800-829-1040. That will give you an electronic list of choices to assist you in getting to a representative who can address your questions or concerns. Multi-lingual assistance is also available.
What are my rights as a taxpayer?
The IRS website posts a list of taxpayer rights. It includes information about taxpayer rights, employee rights, appeal rights and the appeal procedure.
Can the Senator assist me with my tax return?
In order for me to assist with your concerns about a completed tax return or an individual tax account, you need to complete a Privacy Release form. Congressional staff are not trained to directly assist in the preparation of tax returns. The IRS maintains Taxpayer Assistance Centers that can provide direct help in solving tax problems, filing claims, making installment agreements and preparing basic individual income tax returns if your income is $35,000 or less.
How do I check on the status of my refund? How long does it take to receive a refund?
To check on the status of a tax return (refund), the IRS has a toll-free number, 1-800-829-4477. This number provides services to check the status of your refund as well as recorded information on other tax topics. You will be asked to provide your Social Security number and the amount of the refund in order to check the status. The same services are provided online at the IRS website.
I am concerned because the IRS has not yet cashed the payment I sent in with my taxes and it has been several weeks. What should I do?
You can call the IRS main customer line, 1-800-829-1040, to determine if the payment has been credited to your account. If it has not not been credited nor has the check cleared your financial institution, you may choose to place a stop-payment on the original check and send another payment.
I lost my refund check; how do I get a new one?
If you have lost your refund check, the first action you should take is to notify the IRS at 1-800-826-1954. If the lost check has not been cashed, the IRS will issue a replacement check. That process will usually take six to eight weeks. If the lost check has been cashed, the Financial Management Service (FMS) will provide a copy of the check and a Form 3911 Taxpayer Statement Regarding Refund to initiate a claim. The signature on the cancelled check will be reviewed before determining if another refund check can be issued.
Does the IRS have any local offices in Idaho?
There are four IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers in Idaho, located in Boise, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho Falls and Pocatello. The IRS also hosts alternate sites during the year, most often during tax season. The IRS website maintains an updated list of those alternative sites.
Before visiting the local office, it is advisable to check the services provided by each office as those may vary from site to site. There is no appointment necessary, but you can schedule an appointment if you prefer.
City |
Street Address |
Days/Hours of Service |
Telephone |
| Boise | 550 West Fort St. |
Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. |
(208) 387-2847 |
| Coeur d'Alene | 1221 Ironwood Dr. Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814 |
Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (closed 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. daily) |
(208) 676-8798 |
| Idaho Falls | 1820 East 17th St. Idaho Falls, ID 83404 |
Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (closed 12 - 1 p.m. daily) |
(208) 523-8041 |
| Pocatello | 611 Wilson Ave. Pocatello, ID 83201 |
Monday - Friday |
(208) 236-6795 |
How do I know if I qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)?
You may be able to take the EITC if you did not have a qualifying child and you earned less than $11,490 ($12,490 for married filing jointly). You may also be able to take this credit if you had one qualifying child and you earned less than $30,338 ($31,338 for married filing jointly), or you had more than one qualifying child and you earned less than $34,458 ($35,458 for married filing jointly). Other rules apply so please check with the information maintained at the IRS website.
The 16th Amendment to the Constitution gave Congress the authority to collect taxes. Congress used the power to make laws requiring all individuals to pay taxes. While some individuals have challenged that ability, courts have historically held that there are no constitutional or legal grounds for failure to file tax returns and pay taxes.
If this listing doesn't address your concern, please contact one of my Regional Offices for assistance. At that time, I will contact the agency on your behalf to assure that you have been given every consideration available by law. It is also important that you remember that my office doesn't have any authority to direct a certain outcome or expedite a process. I can only help communicate the circumstances and request that the agency take appropriate actions to assist you.
The Privacy Act of 1974 requires that I have your written authorization before I can obtain any information about you from a federal agency. While a friend or family member can certainly contact my office on someone else's behalf, the privacy release form must be signed by the individual needing the assistance. On any correspondence sent to me, please include your phone number and contact information so that my staff can be as responsive as possible to your request. All information provided will remain confidential. You can read my office's Privacy Policy here.
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