How to Fax IRS Form 911 — Request Taxpayer Advocate Service Help
Form 911 opens a case with the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS), an independent organization inside the IRS that helps taxpayers facing economic harm or a problem the normal IRS channels haven't resolved. A taxpayer describes the hardship or the stuck issue, states the relief they are seeking, and TAS decides whether the case qualifies for its help. It is often used when a delayed refund is causing real financial strain, or when repeated contacts with the IRS have gone nowhere. The form pairs the taxpayer's identity with a candid account of their situation.
Why this form is faxed
Taxpayers reaching out to TAS are frequently in a time-critical bind — a levy about to hit, a refund needed to cover essentials — and TAS accepts Form 911 by fax so the request lands with the local office quickly. Faxing delivers the signed request as a fixed document to the advocate office serving the taxpayer's area. It also leaves the sender a dated record that the case was opened.
Where it goes
Form 911 goes to the Taxpayer Advocate Service office that serves the taxpayer's state, and each local office has its own submission channel — the IRS and TAS publish those by location, and the Instructions for Form 911 point to how to find yours. Look up the current channel for your state through the official Taxpayer Advocate Service directory rather than reusing an old number, since each office maintains its own.
How to fax IRS Form 911 (Request for Taxpayer Advocate Service Assistance)
- 1Describe the tax issue and, in your own words, the economic hardship or unresolved problem prompting the request
- 2State clearly what relief or action you are asking the Taxpayer Advocate Service to help with
- 3Fill in your contact information so an advocate can reach you, and have a representative complete their section if one is helping you
- 4Look up the Taxpayer Advocate Service office and submission channel for your state through the official TAS directory
- 5Log in to Send FAX Mail, upload the signed PDF, enter the confirmed local advocate office number, and send
- 6Save the transmission confirmation as your record of when the assistance request was submitted
Handling sensitive information
Form 911 combines a taxpayer's identifying number with a personal narrative of financial hardship — details about missed bills, medical costs, or threatened housing — making it unusually sensitive beyond the tax data alone. Send it only to the confirmed local advocate office, because a misrouted request can expose both identity data and a candid account of someone's financial distress.
What’s current · as of July 2026
Recent updates
Federal agencies still write fax into new rules and notices
The Federal Register — the daily journal of U.S. federal rulemaking — regularly publishes rules and notices that reference fax as an accepted or required submission channel for filings with agencies like the IRS, SSA, and CMS. That is why fax remains a live requirement for many official forms even as electronic portals expand.
Federal Register →
Faxing IRS Form 911 (Request for Taxpayer Advocate Service Assistance) — FAQ
TAS is meant for situations where you're facing economic harm or where normal IRS processes have repeatedly failed to resolve your issue. Form 911 is how you formally ask them to step in. It isn't a shortcut for routine questions, so describe a genuine hardship or a stuck problem when you file.
A specific, concrete description of the harm helps TAS gauge urgency — for instance, a delayed refund you need to cover rent, or a levy that will drain an account you rely on. State plainly what you want them to do. Vague requests are harder for an advocate to act on quickly.
Yes. A representative can complete the section provided for them, and if they are authorized to act for you, they can help move the request forward. Make sure your contact details are accurate so the advocate can reach whichever of you they need. Keeping the send confirmation documents when the request went out.
Filing the form is a request for assistance, not an automatic halt to collection, though an advocate can intervene when your case qualifies. If you're facing an imminent action like a levy, describe that urgency clearly so TAS understands the timeline. Follow up promptly if the situation escalates.
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