It’s not often that people willingly meet with employees of the Internal Revenue Service.

Tuesday, August 14, 2001

It’s not often that people willingly meet with employees of the Internal Revenue Service. However, some people in Lawrence County didlast week. Representatives of the Taxpayer Advocate Service were at the Ironton City Building last Thursday to meet with area residents about problems with federal taxes.

"It was helpful that we were there for that face-to-face interaction," said Janey M. Tabor, an Ohio taxpayer advocate.

Visits like the one to Ironton are mainly for individuals and small business owners to discuss tax problems, such as missing refunds or difficulties in making payments. The function of this division of the IRS is independent of other departments to allow it to adequately represent taxpayer’s interests.

"We’re there to protect taxpayers, help solve problems and suggest preventative measures to Congress," Tabor said.

There is at least one taxpayer advocate in each state. Ohio has two advocates – one is in Cincinnati and one in Cleveland.

Depending on the evaluation of these visits, they might become an annual occurence for communities like Ironton.

The Taxpayer Advocate Service can be reached at 513-263-3260.