Welcome to the Texas Taxpayer Assistance Project, a project of Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, Inc.(TRLA). We are a Low Income Taxpayer Clinic serving 68 counties in Central, South, and Southwest Texas.
For a list of the counties in our service area, check the TRLA Website at www.TRLA.org.
How To Get Help
To find out if we can help, call Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, Inc at 1-888-988-9996
Who Do We Serve?
T-TAP serves low-income taxpayers who have problems with the IRS. We serve any eligible taxpayer who lives in our service area.
T-TAP helps taxpayers who do not have someone already helping in their case and who cannot afford to pay for legal assistance. We do not take cases where more than $50,000 is disputed for the tax year.
We look at each person's situation individually. Some of the things we look at when we decide whether to take your case are:
• whether English is your second language
• your income now and your income on the tax return
• whether you are a victim of domestic violence
• whether you have a physical or mental disability
• the number of your family members
• the kind of tax problem you have and how complicated it is
What Kinds of Cases Do We Handle?
Did you receive a letter from the IRS telling you that your tax return is being audited or examined?
The IRS may be looking at your filing status, such as head of household, or your deductions or credits (dependent exemptions, business expenses, Earned Income Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit or child care credit).
We help you get proof the IRS wants, file a request to reconsider, attend meetings with the IRS, and represent you during an audit.
Did you receive a letter from the IRS that your Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) has been denied? The IRS audits many claims for the EITC.
If the IRS decides that the error was reckless or intentional, you cannot claim the EITC for the next two years. If the IRS finds that the error was fraud, you cannot claim the EITC for the next ten years! We can help you appeal the EITC denial and keep your right to claim the EITC in the future.
Do you have a question about whether you are an employee or an independent contractor? You may owe a lot of self-employment taxes. We can help you ask the IRS to change your employment status.
Did you receive a letter from the IRS that you owe taxes and that you have 90 days to file a petition to the Tax Court? If you do not file within that time, you lose the right to go to court without first paying the tax. We can help you settle the matter or file a petition to Tax Court.
Are you unable to pay your tax debt? We may be able to help you with one of the following:
• enter into an installment or payment agreement
• place your account in currently not collectible status
• make an offer in compromise (settlement offer)
• request a taxpayer assistance order if you have a hardship
• request temporary suspension of collection
• challenge the tax if the time period has not expired or proper procedure was not followed
Did you receive a letter that the IRS plans to file a lien on your property, or a letter that it will levy on your property or your wages? We can help you ask for a Collections Due Process Hearing to decide whether the IRS can place a levy on your property.
Did you receive a bill from the IRS for taxes from a joint tax return? Do you think it is unfair for you to pay these taxes? Depending on whether you knew about the debt, whether you are married, and some other things, like domestic violence, you may qualify for relief as an innocent spouse.
We can help you apply for innocent spouse relief and can represent you if the IRS denies you this relief.
Was your refund kept to pay a debt your spouse had before you married, such as a tax debt or a student loan or child support or other federal debt? If you file a joint return, and you have your own income and tax payments on the tax return (tax withholdings or Earned Income Tax Credit), you may get some help. The spouse who did not owe the debt may ask for her part of the tax refund.
T-TAP can help you file the injured spouse claim and can represent you if the IRS denies this claim.
What Other Things Do We Do?
• Speak to groups, such as social service agencies, churches, groups that work with immigrants, spouse abuse shelters, school-based family centers, and others .
• Prepare pamphlets about taxpayer rights and responsibilities.
• Advise organizations and train staff who work with low-income taxpayers.
• Refer clients to private attorneys, accountants, VITA or TCE volunteers, or agencies.
• Prepare prior years' tax returns to help solve your tax problem.
How Can I Get Help?
To find out if we can help, you may call 1-888-988-9996.
When you call, we will ask you questions about your income, your family, and your tax problem.
We may ask you to send copies of tax returns, IRS letters, and other papers about your tax problem.
We will write you, usually within 5 days from the interview, to say whether we can represent you. If we cannot represent you, we will try to help you find an attorney, accountant or volunteer who may be able to help.
Last Modified: April 5, 2007 |
