W

Taxpayer Bill of Rights

Taxpayer Bill or Rights

All taxpayers have fundamental rights they should be aware of when dealing with the IRS. The Taxpayer Bill of Rights, which the IRS adopted in June of 2014, takes existing rights in the tax code and groups them into the following 10 broad categories, making them easier to understand. Explore your rights and our obligations to protect them.

The right to be informed.

Taxpayers have the right to know what they need to do to comply with the tax laws. They are entitled to clear explanations of the laws and IRS procedures in all tax forms, instructions, publications, notices, and correspondence. They have the right to be informed of IRS decisions about their tax accounts and to receive clear explanations of the outcomes.

The right to quality service.

Taxpayers have the right to receive prompt, courteous, and professional assistance in their dealings with the IRS, to be spoken to in a way they can easily understand, to receive clear and easily understandable communications from the IRS, and to speak to a supervisor about inadequate service.

The right to pay no more than the correct amount of tax.

Taxpayers have the right to pay only the amount of tax legally due, including interest and penalties, and to have the IRS apply all tax payments properly.

The right to challenge the IRS's position and be heard.

Taxpayers have the right to raise objections and provide additional documentation in response to formal IRS actions or proposed actions, to expect that the IRS will consider their timely objections and documentation promptly and fairly, and to receive a response if the IRS does not agree with their position.

The right to appeal an IRS decision in an independent forum.

Taxpayers are entitled to a fair and impartial administrative appeal of most IRS decisions, including many penalties, and have the right to receive a written response regarding the IRS Independent Office of Appeals’ decision. Taxpayers generally have the right to take their cases to court.

The right to finality.

Taxpayers have the right to know the maximum amount of time they have to challenge the IRS’s position as well as the maximum amount of time the IRS has to audit a particular tax year or collect a tax debt. Taxpayers have the right to know when the IRS has finished an audit.

The right to privacy.

Taxpayers have the right to expect that any IRS inquiry, examination, or enforcement action will comply with the law and be no more intrusive than necessary, and will respect all due process rights, including search and seizure protections and will provide, where applicable, a collection due process hearing

The right to confidentiality.

Taxpayers have the right to expect that any information they provide to the IRS will not be disclosed unless authorized by the taxpayer or by law. Taxpayers have the right to expect appropriate action will be taken against employees, return preparers, and others who wrongfully use or disclose taxpayer return information.

The right to retain representation.

Taxpayers have the right to retain an authorized representative of their choice to represent them in their dealings with the IRS. Taxpayers have the right to seek assistance from a Low Income Taxpayer Clinic if they can't afford representation.

The right to a fair and just tax system.

Taxpayers have the right to expect the tax system to consider facts and circumstances that might affect their underlying liabilities, ability to pay, or ability to provide information timely. Taxpayers have the right to receive assistance from the Taxpayer Advocate Service if they are experiencing financial difficulty or if the IRS has not resolved their tax issues properly and timely through its normal channels.

Learn more at IRS.gov/TaxpayerRights.

Please click here for the text description of the image.

Where Do You File? Mail your return to the address shown below that applies to you. If you want to use a private delivery service, see Private Delivery Services under Filing Requirements, earlier. Envelopes without enough postage will be returned to you by the post office. Your envelope may need additional postage if it contains more than five pages or is oversized (for example, it is over 1 / 4 ″ thick). Also include your complete return address. Only the U.S. Postal Service can deliver to P.O. boxes. You can't use a private delivery service to make tax payments required to be sent to a P.O. box. THEN use this address if you: IF you live in... Are requesting a refund or are not enclosing a check or money order... Are enclosing a check or money order... Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas Department of the Treasury Internal Revenue Service Austin, TX 73301-0002 Internal Revenue Service P.O. Box 1214 Charlotte, NC 28201-1214 Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming Department of the Treasury Internal Revenue Service Ogden, UT 84201-0002 Internal Revenue Service P.O. Box 931000 Louisville, KY 40293-1000 Arizona, Arkansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma Department of the Treasury Internal Revenue Service Austin, TX 73301-0002 Internal Revenue Service P.O. Box 931000 Louisville, KY 40293-1000 Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin Department of the Treasury Internal Revenue Service Kansas City, MO 64999-0002 Internal Revenue Service P.O. Box 931000 Louisville, KY 40293-1000 A foreign country, U.S. territory*, or use an APO or FPO address, or file Form 2555 or 4563, or are a dual-status alien Department of the Treasury Internal Revenue Service Austin, TX 73301-0215 Internal Revenue Service P.O. Box 1303 Charlotte, NC 28201-1303 *If you live in American Samoa, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, or the Northern Mariana Islands, see Pub. 570.