IRS union objects to closing in-person taxpayer assistance offices in six states

Closed TAC offices could create filing obstacles for
some taxpayers. (Adobe Stock photo)

As the IRS moves to close nine taxpayer assistance center (TAC) offices in six states, rural and underserved areas may find it harder to file and pay their taxes. The National Treasury Employees Union asked the IRS to reconsider the closures, reports Sean Michael Newhouse of Government Executive. The IRS planned the closures to cut overhead costs.

While the agency promised its closures won't result in job losses, closing in-person tax offices will make it harder for some U.S. residents to handle their taxes. Doreen Greenwald, NTEU's president, issued a statement saying, "These communities will have to drive longer distances, possibly 100 miles or more to meet with the IRS and get their questions answered.”

TAC offices slated for closure on Nov. 30 are: Altoona and Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania; Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Elmira and West Nyack, New York; Owensboro and Paducah, Kentucky; Walnut Creek, California; and Wheeling, West Virginia.

The IRS also promised TAC closures won't reduce taxpayer services, which Rep. Mike Lawler, who represents West Nyack, N.Y., questioned in a letter to Scott Bessent, the acting IRS commissioner: "Closing this office without providing a suitable replacement will impose an undue burden on my constituents. . . .Forcing them to travel farther distances — often without reliable access to transportation — adds unnecessary barriers to fulfilling their obligations as taxpayers.”

The planned closures are a reversal of IRS outreach efforts. Newhouse writes, "The IRS had used funding from President Joe Biden’s 2022 Inflation Reduction Act to open or reopen 54 centers, bringing the total number to more than 360."

Particularly for rural populations, which often have few tax service options nearby or can lack reliable broadband for online communication, TAC offices serve as a way for rural folks to file correctly and on time. Greenwald said, “Reducing the number of customer service centers reverses the progress that the IRS has made when it comes to being accessible and helpful to the American people."