Key Takeaways
- TAS is a free, independent unit within the IRS - never pay a third party claiming to offer this exact service.
- Your return must already be processing (not in 'suspense') before TAS can help.
- File Form 911 to request assistance; allow up to 30 days for a response and advocate assignment.
- TAS only accepts cases where it can meaningfully improve the outcome, prioritized by documented financial hardship.
- Identity theft cases are taking close to two years to resolve in 2026, with over 500,000 cases pending at season's end.
The Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) is an independent organization within the IRS that helps filers with tax problems they can’t resolve through normal channels, or who’ve exhausted standard IRS contact options without a real answer. Every state has at least one local TAS office, independent of the regular IRS office.
They’re especially useful for filers who can’t afford a CPA or tax attorney and are dealing with a refund delay that standard channels haven’t resolved.
Why This Matters More in 2026
Per the National Taxpayer Advocate’s mid-year report to Congress (June 24, 2026), the IRS’s Taxpayer Protection Program line — the number taxpayers call when their return is suspended for identity verification — received about 2.4 million calls this season. The IRS answered only 19% of them, with a 20-minute average wait for calls that connected.
Cases that move past the phone line into actual identity theft casework are now taking close to two years to resolve. More than half a million of these cases were still open at the end of the filing season. This is the exact situation TAS exists to help with, though it’s worth setting expectations: TAS itself is also stretched thin by the same volume.
Subscribe or follow us to get further updates as TAS reports new data throughout the year.
How Do I Get a Taxpayer Advocate?
You can engage TAS directly by filing Form 911, a Request for Taxpayer Assistance Order. The IRS can also refer you to TAS on its own if your return has been processing for months and you need help resolving it.
Submit Form 911 by mail or fax after your return has actually been processed — not before. Once submitted or referred, allow up to 30 days for a response and an advocate to be assigned. If your case is accepted, you could see relief a few weeks after that.
Given current volume, expect TAS to take longer than usual to respond, and expect long hold times if you try calling their line directly. It’s also worth noting that TAS does not accept every case — per their own procedures, they only take cases where they can meaningfully expedite or improve the outcome for the taxpayer.
Your Return Must Already Be Processing (Not in “Suspense”)
TAS can’t help if the IRS hasn’t loaded your return and started processing it yet. Returns sitting in “suspense” status, awaiting initial IRS action, account for the majority of the longest delays this season, and TAS has no ability to accelerate that first step.
Dealing With the TAS: Two Illustrative Examples
These two composite scenarios (not tied to a specific season) show the kind of situations where TAS involvement tends to make a real difference.
Lisa’s case: Lisa filed in late January and her return was accepted within two days. Where’s My Refund showed one bar and Tax Topic 152 for about a week, then a 4464C letter arrived asking her to wait 60 days for a review tied to the credits she’d claimed. After the 60 days passed with no update and a second notice asking for another 60 days, she contacted a tax advocate directly.
The advocate submitted a Form 911 on her behalf, and within about a week of faxing the requested documentation (proof of a dependent’s residency), her refund was released. The full cycle from first advocate contact to refund took roughly two weeks — dramatically faster than waiting on the standard review queue alone.
Marcus’s case: Marcus’s return was flagged for identity verification after he moved and filed from a new address. He tried the Taxpayer Protection Program line for several weeks without getting through, given the 19% answer rate reported this season. He eventually asked the IRS directly to open a TAS case when he did reach an agent, framing the delay as a financial hardship since he was relying on the refund for a security deposit. TAS accepted the case given the documented hardship and got his identity verification processed faster than the standard queue would have.
The common thread in both: TAS works best when you can clearly document what’s being held up and why it’s causing genuine hardship, not just frustration with the wait.
Amended Returns and Taxpayer Advocate Help
If your amended return is still waiting on initial IRS processing, TAS generally won’t accept your case until you’ve heard back from the IRS on that first review — even if you’re facing financial hardship. Once IRS processing is complete and a new problem or delay emerges, TAS can help the same way it does with original returns, following the same Form 911 process, prioritized by submission order and hardship level.
Common Issues to Watch Out For
Contacting TAS before your return has started processing. This is the single most common reason a Form 911 gets rejected — TAS has no ability to intervene in the pre-processing “suspense” stage.
Expecting an instant response. Even accepted cases typically take a few weeks to show movement. Budget accordingly rather than expecting overnight results.
Not documenting the hardship clearly. TAS prioritizes cases with a documented financial hardship — an eviction notice, a shutoff notice, a specific bill you can’t pay. Vague frustration with the wait isn’t the same thing in their intake process.
Assuming TAS is a paid service or private company. It’s a free, independent unit inside the IRS. You should never need to pay anyone claiming to be a “tax advocate” for this specific service.
Looking Ahead: 2027
Whether TAS’s resolution times improve next season will depend heavily on whether the IRS can raise that 19% TPP phone-answer rate, since identity verification delays are the single biggest driver of the multi-month waits TAS handles. I’ll be watching for updates in the National Taxpayer Advocate’s annual report to Congress, typically released each January, and will update this page as new data comes in.
My 2021tax return is still in progress that’s what it says and it’s been like that it says the same thing that is in progress but I don’t know anything else
Call the tax advocates and they can help you get your refund.
Well 3 months later I’m still waiting did id verification. Been done since Feb 22. calling numerous times begging for answers and get a diff answer everytime waiting for tas within 14 days to call. On 13th day I called funny nobody said they aren’t opening any cases until after June 30 IRS has asked of this . Hardship or not. Called yesterday after utility co. Came now telling me they don’t have the W2 to verify my stuff sent letter appeared on transcript 3/25 as of 4/10.havnt rec a letter but was told when I’ve called was told to amend now and now 5 months for amended but I’m in a review to verify wages and now amended so no clue where I fall into. Tas told me of this wait til June 30 before opening cases are u serious. Maybe moving to a cardboard box isn’t hardship enough I dno but this run around and jumping thru flaming hoops has just got me no where feb7 accepted return may 9.still nothing. Oh and told deposit date was 4/3 but nah they pulled it to review 4 /3.. how can someone in or facing hardship after 3 months waiting be told up to 5 months wait more over half a year for a return with no credits depends just me income taxes out in etc that’s all . So confused .. should I be expecting interest adding up to.. haha patience out the window. Someone help cuz I guess hiring thousands more to work and working weekend hasn’t helped us little people out here. The struggle is real.
What they don’t tell you in these comments is u may get a tax advocate but that’s a process too. If they don’t think u have a real reason to be assign to one u may not get one and it also take 30 days to see if anyone will take your case or not.
Hi my names Diana aleman I filed my tax return since January 2022 n nothing what im suppose to do I got children to support no help of child support thank you
Call 8777774778 that’s the tax advocate number if you get a recording saying they can’t take your call keep calling over and over until your call is put into the order it was received
I’ve been waiting on my tax return March 15 is when I filled my taxes they said 21 days after I filled I should see something and haven’t heard or seen anything yet could you please help me with this situation I’ve been patiently waiting thank you
I filed my taxes on 1/27/2022, I have not received a letter. I keep checking on where’s my refund and it has the same message for 3 weeks now. Saying that it a longer than usual processing in my refund. I can’t get through to irs. I need to pay my light bill.
filed 2/2/2022; accepted same day. 2/11/22 message about waiting due to PATH bill, since then crickets. No DDD; got my code about processing on 3/14/2022 no 846 on IRS transcript no letters nothing.
I filed my taxes for 2019 with Jackson and Hewitt somehow they managed to screw up my tax refund and I have not received it I’ve been trying to contact IRS in many different ways with no success every number I have tried turned up to be useless. So I’m trying to figure out how to make an appointment with them or get some kind of help and advocate to get my refund which is around $2,600
Need help getting my refund
I’m currently working with the tax payer advocate services and they are corresponding between me and the IRS quickly with what is needed to get my refund released. I’ve been waiting on my refund since February I should be receiving my refund in the next week or so. You have to tell them what hardship you are experiencing, whether it be homeless, behind on bills, hours cut at work just let them know you need your money to live and take care of whatever you need to take care of. They’ve have helped me Alot.
Hello I have been waiting on my refund since February as well and would like to know how can I get help. Thank you
Hey Jessica my name niketress reed can u please help me with my refund
I found my 2019 taxes with Jackson and Hewitt and they screwed my taxes up and I’ve been waiting ever since to receive them I tried multiple times to contact IRS the number to make an appointment was useless.
I just don’t know what else to do to get my refund from them
I filled on 1/26/2022 AMD I normally have mines every year around the 23rd of February and I don’t know what it’s taking so long
I filed mine around the same time and I was supposed to get mine Feb. 22 and I am still waiting too
I did my taxes on February 1,2022 and waiting for my income taxes in 21 days but when I check for when it’s comes. It’s day that I have to pay the irs $101. I pay it. Do you when you gonna receive the refund
I need help getting my refund I did an admin return ‘s all messed up so I need help please
TAS has been running me in circles since November 2021, trying to get my 2019 refund. I have logged 30 plus calls to my assigned advocate, the advocate’s manager, and the group manager with no response. The general Advocate number looks at the case, then says “we will transfer you to the intake service – here is your PIN…: Then I go on hold for the rest of the day until the TAS closes. This is happening right now for the 4th time.
I want to stress that NO IRS rep, TAS or not, has EVER called me back after countless requests and TAS faxes to my advocate and her managers to do so.
COVID be darned – I am finding the TAS to be worthless.
Since I got my job 4 years ago the IRS holds my refund (flags me for some unknown reason) then I have to get a Tax advocate every year. I know the routine and usually after getting an advocate I get my refund in about 2 weeks. This year I have been assigned a Tax advocate again, but they will not answer my calls. Ive been waiting so long the IRS gave me Tax Advocates Manager number, but they wont answer either. What we supposed to do when no one answers their phones?? I call everyday and leave a voicemail for 2 weeks!!!
Is this 2 weeks calendar.days or working days btw?
Shannon, i filed my tax on 2/15/21 since then the refund status says We are processing your refund.
TA is a waste of time I am wondering if my tax dollar is paying for their service?
Is there a company anyone know of that I can give a percentage of the return to for them to pursue this process for me. Thanks
Ditto – there MUST be a way to escalate beyond TAS. They are not just a waste of time – they are a colossal waste of time.
This while process is a joke. I’m currently homeless , it’s freezing cold outside and if I’m lucky, I get to sleep in an old car. My refund was accepted and being processed since September. I tecieved a letter about identity verification and I did that , even a video call. Checking my refund status it says being processed. What am I to do? Wait on them and freeze to death? Can’t talk to a person when I call. Everyday I hope for a miracle . Hopefully I get my refund before it’s too late and i freeze to death.
Ditto – TAS appears to be an elaborate IRS hoax.
Return accepted 2/11/21. Been over 9 months. Received about four 60 day notices (I kid you not)!! Contacted my local congressman office in August. The lady contacted TAS on my behalf (I didn’t know that). No movement. Until just now she emailed me with an update stating the TAS guy just called her and told her my return had income mismatch (look back) I think. And that everything has been resolved. The IRS has been instructed to release my refund. Now I wait again don’t know how long after this new update. Not getting my hopes up.