Taxpayers Looking For Help From Harlem To Hollis Should Consult Online Resources

As tax season continues to ramp up, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is preparing for an influx of calls from taxpayers looking for assistance on their returns. 

The agency explained that President’s Day weekend marks one of the busiest times of the tax season, and to try to get ahead of this, the IRS is encouraging taxpayers to utilize online tax resources – rather than calling the IRS phone lines. 

“The IRS continues to see improvements this tax season compared to previous years, including better phone service,” said Doug O’Donnell, IRS acting commissioner. “But we always see a significant surge in phone traffic around Presidents Day. 

“With the calendar advancing, millions of people turn their attention to taxes during this period. To avoid potential delays, we encourage people to check IRS.gov first, which can provide much of the same information instantly to taxpayers.” 

Some of the online resources available to taxpayers include: 

• The IRS’ frequently asked questions page
• The Tax Withholding Estimator
• The Interactive Tax Assistant
• Where’s My Refund?
• The IRS Services Guide
• IRS Free File 
• The Let Us Help You page 

New online features make the filing process easier

In addition to trying to help taxpayers get assistance with their tax returns as quickly as possible, the IRS also announced that taxpayers will be able to upload more documents to their online accounts. 

Rather than having to send in any of these forms by mail, taxpayers can upload them, and work to get an answer and their problem solved much faster than it would typically take. 

Effective for the 2022 tax season, taxpayers will be able to upload the following documents digitally to their IRS accounts: 

• CP75 and CP75a, relating to the Earned Income Tax Credit
• CP75d, relating to the Earned Income Tax Credit and other credits
• CP09, related to claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit 
• CP06 and C096a, relating to the Premium Tax Credit
• CP04, relating to combat zone status 
• CP05a, information request related to a refund
• CP08, relating to the Child Tax Credit 

When the IRS sends a request for more information, the letter will contain a link and an access code. Once taxpayers open the link, they’ll have to provide the access code and personal information – like their Social Security number or tax identification number – to ensure their identity is legitimate. From there, they’ll be able to upload the necessary documentation. 

“This provides immediate benefit to taxpayers, who have nearly instant confirmation that documents were received by the IRS,” O’Donnell said. “This means people can have their issues resolved much faster, including getting refunds to affected taxpayers faster.” 

Take a Financial Relief Quiz. Get matched with an Authorized Partner.ZIP Code

Kristen Dalli

Kristen Dalli is a New York native and recent graduate of Marist College. She has worked as a writer and editor for several different companies and publications, including Thought Catalog, The Oddysey, Thomas Greco Publishing, and several travel blogs.