IRS help center in Providence holds no-appointment-needed hours on Saturday

PROVIDENCE − The IRS's Taxpayer Assistance Center in Providence, which helps people understand and resolve their tax problems in person, will be holding special no-appointment-required hours on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Providence Taxpayer Assistance Center normally requires an appointment, but the Saturday hours are meant to help people who cannot make it during the work week, according to a news release. The money for the extra hours is coming from the Inflation Reduction Act.

In addition to the special hours this Saturday, the Providence center has also expanded its hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays, opening earlier and closing later, until the end of the tax filing season in mid-April.

For those who do not speak English, a foreign language interpretation service is offered with an interpreter calling into the appointment.

There are two Taxpayer Assistance Centers in the state, one at 380 Westminster St. in Providence and one at 40 Quaker Lane in Warwick.

What are the special no-appointment hours on Saturday?

The no-appointment hours on Saturday are from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Providence location. A second no-appointment Saturday will be held on May 18 in Providence.

Why go to a Taxpayer Assistance Center?

Providence group manager Angela Davol has worked for the IRS for 35 years and at the Providence center for 20 years.

She said people come into the center for a variety of reasons, including people applying for taxpayer identification numbers, making payments or setting up payment plans, but most of their work involves educating people.

One of the most common reasons people come into the Taxpayer Assistance Center is to get help understanding notices they have received from the IRS and how they are supposed to respond, Davol said.

"We help them so the next time at home, they feel confident they can get the information and do it themselves," Davol said.

Other people come in because they want to know where their refund is or they don't have access to a computer and are sat down in front of kiosks connected to the IRS's website, irs.gov, for tax forms and information.

"We get a lot of people with notices who don't understand what it means, and sometimes it's as simple as reading the notice to them and explaining it in a different way," she said.

Often, the representatives have to make referrals to other parts of the agency, including when people come in with notices that the documents the IRS received don't match someone's tax return, Davol said.

"We do basic tax law, so some tax law issues, we just can't too, they're too complicated," she said.

For the most part, their job is about helping people through education.

How do you make an appointment?

Appointments can usually be made for the next day and the people working the call center that makes the appointments do some of the initial screening work to try and solve issues and, if they can't, make sure the person coming in knows exactly what they need to bring.

Appointments can be made by calling (844) 545-5640.

Where are the Taxpayer Assistance Centers located?

The Providence Taxpayer Assistance Center is downtown at 380 Westminster St., in "The Federal Center," a hulking four-story brick building. The special Saturday hours will only be at the Providence location.

There is also a Taxpayer Assistance Center in Warwick at 40 Quaker Lane. It is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., weekdays, and is closed between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m.

What are the Taxpayer Assistance Centers hours?

The Providence Taxpayer Assistance Center is normally open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Until April 16, the Providence enter is open for a few extra hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays, opening an hour earlier at 7:30 a.m. and closing at 6 p.m.

The Warwick center is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., weekdays, and is closed between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m.

Both require appointments.

What should you bring?

People should be prepared with:

• government-issued photo ID

• their Social Security number or tax identification number

• any documentation received from the IRS

• a second form of identification

• For problems with past returns, a copy of the return in question

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Reach reporter Wheeler Cowperthwaite at wcowperthwaite@providencejournal.com or follow him on Twitter @WheelerReporter.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: IRS help center in Providence hosts open hours on Saturday, Feb. 24