For all the bad press you hear and all the bad movies you see about the IRS, those government agents can actually be your friend. They are trained tax professionals, just like the ones at H&R Block and other fee based tax services. The difference, of course, is that the IRS is a tax payer funded service, and you are entitled to FREE help with your taxes. Here is a snapshot of the IRS website:



When friends ask me for tax advice, I generally refer them directly to the IRS for help. Nothing against my other CPA friends, but I hate paying for things twice, just as I hate double taxation. Paying an accountant for tax advice which is given for free from the IRS is akin to double taxation! Here are some helpful tips for contacting the IRS for tax help:

  1. Be friendly and courteous to the agents.
  2. Don’t call on April 14th. Start your taxes EARLY. If you have trouble, keep a list of everything you have questions on. Call right away with your questions (January or February), even if you don’t intend to fill out the forms until later.
  3. Know what to expect when calling the IRS. The first person you talk to just needs to know how to direct your call - self employment tax questions, corporate taxes, capital gains, etc. In my experience you will be connected within a few short minutes to the first IRS resource. Getting a live specialist may take a little longer - 10-15 minutes in my experience.
  4. Be legitimate. Don’t waste your time calling the IRS to ask for advice on tax evasion!
  5. Have a “Do it yourself” attitude. If you are are the type to outsource your taxes, just hand things over to your accountant and forget the IRS. But if you really want to take things into your own hands, the IRS can and will help you.
  6. Call well in advance of tax status changes. If you are considering starting a new business, for example, but want to understand the tax ramifications before doing so, call the IRS to discuss. They can easily give you a high level summary, and then likely will refer you to additional reading material on the IRS web site. Calling outside of tax season for these types of questions will get you a quicker response.
  7. Do your homework. When the IRS agent refers you to specific IRS publication numbers, spend the time to read them, marking areas which are applicable and unclear. Call back later for clarification after you have read them.
  8. For state or local tax questions, contact your state or local tax office and follow the same helpful tips above.