The IRS is reportedly closing nine taxpayer assistance centers in six states later this year in an apparent cost-savings move, as the agency faces a potentially smaller budget for fiscal year 2026.
The IRS informed Congress of the planned closures, as required by federal law. The TACs that are expected to close are in:
- Altoona, PA
- Wilkes-Barre, PA
- Cedar Rapids, IA
- Elmira, NY
- West Nyack, NY
- Owensboro, KY
- Paducah, KY
- Walnut Creek, CA
- Wheeling, WV
The closures will take effect on Nov. 30.
In a Sept. 4 media release, the National Treasury Employees Union, which represents employees in 38 federal agencies and offices, called the decision to close the nine TACs “short-sighted” and said the move “will make it harder for taxpayers to get help from IRS professionals in their community and degrade the agency’s vital customer service mission.”
In a statement, NTEU National President Doreen Greenwald said, “Taxpayer assistance centers are absolutely essential to the nation’s tax system and closing them is the opposite of what the IRS should be doing right now. We urge the IRS and the Treasury Department to reconsider these closures and make sure that individuals and business owners can access the assistance they need to meet their tax obligations.”
Reducing the number of customer service centers reverses the progress the IRS has made when it comes to being accessible and helpful to the American people, she added.
“Without these TACs, the people of these communities will have to drive longer distances, possibly 100 miles or more, in order to meet with the IRS and get their questions answered,” Greenwald said. “Whatever savings the agency believes will come from canceled leases is overshadowed by the harm to taxpayers who are simply trying to do the right thing and comply with the ever-changing tax laws.”
The Washington Post last February reported that at least 113 taxpayer assistance centers will have their leases terminated or not renewed when they expire. A Bloomberg Tax report stated that the Trump administration had initiated the termination of 128 offices—more than the 113 the Washington Post reported—that host taxpayer assistance centers and five that include call sites as part of its efforts to shrink the federal government. But they would be allowed to stay open until after tax season.
In a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who also currently is the acting commissioner of the IRS, Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) asked him to reconsider closing the help center in West Nyack, which is located in Rockland County, NY.
“Closing this office without providing a suitable replacement will impose an undue burden on my constituents, many of whom rely on in-person services to resolve complex tax issues. Forcing them to travel farther distances—often without reliable access to transportation—adds unnecessary barriers to fulfilling their obligations as taxpayers,” Lawler wrote.
In his letter, Lawler urged the IRS to immediately fill the vacant position at the taxpayer assistance center and to establish a new, appropriately sized office in Rockland County, NY. He also suggested exploring shared space with the Social Security Administration’s local office or identifying another suitable location to ensure continued taxpayer access.
“I respectfully request that the IRS commit to maintaining a taxpayer service presence in Rockland County and provide a detailed plan outlining how you will ensure continued access to in-person assistance for my constituents,” he wrote.
The IRS has opened more TACs in the past couple of years as part of a push to improve customer service using additional funding made available through the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. More than 50 assistance centers were opened or reopened between the law’s passage and mid-January 2024, bringing the total to more than 360 nationwide.
During the 2025 filing season, there were 546,000 scheduled appointments for face-to-face assistance at TACs, a decrease of more than 30% compared to filing season 2024, National Taxpayer Advocate Erin Collins noted in a report.
Last week, the House Appropriations Committee advanced a spending bill with deeper IRS funding cuts than what the Trump administration had planned.
The bill, which is now headed for a full House vote, would give the IRS a $9.5 billion budget next year, a 23% cut from current spending levels, according to the Federal News Network.
The Trump administration in June proposed giving the IRS $9.8 billion in FY 2026—about a 20% cut from current spending levels.
In addition, House lawmakers rejected the Trump administration’s request for more than $850 million to help the IRS hire an additional 11,000 call center representatives and roll out new automation tools to assist taxpayers.
By recommending that the IRS receive $853 million less for taxpayer services than the president requested for FY 2026, the appropriations bill being considered by House Republicans would further undermine the agency’s customer service mission, the NTEU said.
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Tags: Congress, Income Taxes, IRS, Taxes, taxpayer assistance centers
