The IRS, which has been warning taxpayers about limits on its ability to provide customer service due to budgetary restrictions, has meanwhile started an experiment of appointment-based in-person service.
The IRS has some 350 walk-in locations, but they are first-come, first-served and there is no guarantee regarding when, or even if, a taxpayer will receive assistance. Long waits are possible.
The agency believes that scheduling appointments could help taxpayers avoid waits and make the customer service function more efficient. It is being tested first in Atlanta (Atlanta-Woodcock), Austin, Texas, Birmingham, Ala., Chicago, (Dearborn), Denver, Fresno, Calif., Hartford, Conn., Plantation, Fla., San Antonio and Seattle.
Walk-in service will remain available in those for those picking up limited forms or making a payment; all other services will require an appointment. Additional test sites may be added in the near future.
The IRS has been discouraging taxpayers from calling its customer service phone line and urging them to rely foremost on online information and services.