IRS Form 911 allows you to request assistance from the IRS Taxpayer Advocate Service if you are facing an adverse action from the IRS that you believe may cause you irreparable economic harm. Filing Form 911 is an option after your local IRS office has either declined to help or says it cannot assist in time to save you from a harmful long-term impact to your finances.
Here are the basics you need to know about IRS Form 911.
What Is Form 911?
Form 911 is also known as a Request for Taxpayer Advocate Service Assistance. It lets you formally request help from the IRS’s Taxpayer Advocate Service, an independent organization within the IRS that supports taxpayers who are either suffering from economic harm, having difficulty resolving an IRS issue through the normal channels, or feeling as though the IRS’s systems and processes are not working as they should.
In most cases, you should not file Form 911 until you have exhausted other methods to resolve your tax issue, such as bringing the matter to the attention of your local IRS field office.
Form 911 Filing Requirements
The IRS has three requirements you must meet before filing Form 911:
- You must be facing financial difficulties that pose a threat to you, your family, or your business.
- The threat to you, your family, or your business is immediate.
- Your local IRS field office did not or could not grant you the assistance you need, or they were not able to help in time to avoid an adverse impact to you, your family, or your business’s finances.
Where to Download Form 911
You can download the IRS Form 911 pdf directly from the IRS website here: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f911.pdf
Where to Send Form 911
You can send IRS Form 911 by fax (the quickest way) or U.S. mail.
Fax
To submit Form 911 by fax, send it to your nearest Taxpayer Advocate Service office. There is one in every state, plus Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico. You can find the fax number for every TAS office in your state by going to the Taxpayer Advocate Service Contact page and selecting your state from the drop down menu.
IRS Form 911 can also be mailed to your nearest Taxpayer Advocate Service office. You can find your local TAS office mailing address on the same page as the fax number.
Will IRS Collections Stop When I Submit Form 911?
Submitting Form 911 doesn’t mean that IRS collections will stop, but it guarantees that the Taxpayer Advocate Service office will step in on your behalf to try to resolve your tax problem.
How Long Will It Take to Receive a Form 911 Response?
As long as your IRS Form 911 doesn’t contain errors or missing information, you should receive a response from the Taxpayer Advocate Service within one week of submitting it.
What Do I Do If I Don’t Receive a Response After Submitting Form 911?
If you haven’t received a Form 911 response within 30 days after submitting, you should call or visit your nearest Taxpayer Advocate Service office. You can also call the main TAS number at 1-877-777-4778.
Form 911 Instructions
Form 911 has three sections, but most taxpayers only need to fill out the first section. The second section is only to be used if you wish to authorize a third party to represent you. The third section will be filled out by the IRS.
The section that you fill out has 12 fields (Section I – Taxpayer Information):
- Fields 1-5 ask for basic contact information such as your name, address, phone number and email.
- Field 6 asks for the person they should contact if you aren’t using an authorized representative. This will probably be you.
- Fields 7 and 8 ask for your phone number and the best time to call.
- Field 9 requests your preferred language.
- Fields 10 and 11 ask for the tax form numbers in question and the years they cover.
- Fields 12(a) and 12(b) are where you describe the specific tax issue you are facing and the relief you are requesting.
Wiztax can help you determine if filing for assistance via Form 911 is the right move. Schedule a free phone consultation so we can learn a bit more about your situation, and we will tell you exactly how we can help. We never charge for consultations or ‘investigations’.
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