BELL COUNTY, Texas — The Taisler family told 6 News they finished their taxes all the way back in February. They never got their refund or stimulus check and never received a reason why. Later, when the family started to look for explanations, they called a local child support office and found out the money had been garnished.
When the family tried to find out why all the money had been taken, they said they could not get the IRS on the phone because offices were closed due to COVID-19.
So where should people who are trying to contact the IRS start? And how can a taxpayer know if their return or stimulus check will be garnished? 6 News contacted the IRS Thursday to find out.
IRS Spokesperson Clay Sanford referred 6 News to their general IRS assistance line at 1-800-829-1040. 6 News later called the number and, after going through multiple prompts, was able to speak to a representative. Some prompts still ended in a reference to irs.gov. Sanford stated that it was also possible to make appointments at a local IRS Office, though taxpayers will need to schedule the visit ahead of time and be prepared with the right paperwork.
That assistance line is not the best place to go for all issues, however. Taxpayers that have specific questions pertaining to Economic Impact Payments, or stimulus checks, can call 800-919-9835.
If a taxpayer is concerned a portion of their refund will be garnished, they need to contact the Bureau of the Fiscal Service's TOP call center at 800-304-3107 (or TTY/TDD 866-297-0517). Additional information on factors that can offset a taxpayer's refund can be found here.
If a taxpayer isn't able to resolve an issue with the above numbers, Sanford also suggested taxpayers contact the Taxpayer Advocate Service which is described as "An independent organization within the IRS" that can "Work directly with the IRS on your behalf to resolve taxpayers’ inquiries." The national number for TAS is 877-777-4778 but numbers for specific state offices can be found on the TAS website linked above.
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