Taxpayer Bill of Rights #9: The Right to Retain Representation

            The Taxpayer Bill of Rights is a fundamental document that guides how the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will act in all situations. All of their employees know it, so all Taxpayers should be familiar with it as well. One of them is The Right to Retain Representation.

          Every Taxpayer has the right to choose an authorized person (not all tax preparers are the same) represent them before the IRS. If you are having the interview with them directly, tell them you want to consult your representative and they will stop questioning you. This person must be in good professional standing and not under a suspension or disbarred. They must submit a written Power of Attorney document to be able to represent you before the IRS. If your income is below a certain level, the Low Income Taxpayer Clinic can represent you for free. They are independent from the IRS even though some of their funding comes from them.

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