IRS Office Visit Guide
What to bring to your IRS appointment
The document checklist for a Taxpayer Assistance Center visit, broken down by the reason you are going. Miss one and you will be sent home.
TAC representatives will not process anything without the right documents in hand. There is no "we will follow up by mail" — if a document is missing, the visit ends and you rebook. This checklist covers what every visit needs plus what each common reason adds on top.
Every visit, no exceptions: a current government-issued photo ID, and your Social Security number or ITIN (the card itself, or a document showing the number). If you are visiting about a specific tax year, bring a copy of that year's return.
Accepted forms of photo ID
- Driver's license or state ID card
- US or foreign passport
- Military ID
- Tribal membership card (accepted as a secondary ID only, not as a primary federal ID)
Expired IDs are not accepted. Photocopies are not accepted.
By reason for the visit
Identity verification (Letter 5071C, 4883C, 5747C, 6331C)
- The letter itself
- The tax return referenced in the letter, if you filed one
- A prior-year tax return
- Supporting documents for the current return: W-2s, 1099s, Schedule C records
- Two forms of ID, at least one with a photo
ITIN application or renewal (Form W-7)
- Completed Form W-7
- Your federal tax return, unless you qualify for an exception
- Original passport, or two other original identity documents from the IRS list (national ID, birth certificate, foreign driver's license, and so on)
- For dependents: proof of US residency such as school or medical records
The TAC authenticates originals on the spot and returns them to you, which is the main reason to apply in person instead of mailing your passport.
Making a payment
- The notice or bill you are paying, with the amount and tax period
- Check or money order payable to "United States Treasury" with your SSN or ITIN, tax year and form number written on it
- Cash: only at TACs that accept it, only with an appointment, and only in exact change. Check the office page before you go.
Payment arrangement or installment agreement
- All outstanding notices
- Your most recent filed return
- A realistic monthly figure you can commit to
- Bank routing and account numbers if you want direct debit (lowest setup fee)
Tax transcript
- Photo ID and your taxpayer number. That is all — the transcript is printed while you wait.
Form 2290 (Heavy Highway Vehicle Use Tax)
- Completed Form 2290, both pages
- Your Employer Identification Number (EIN) — an SSN is not accepted for 2290
- VIN and taxable gross weight of each vehicle
- Payment by check or money order
Account questions or a notice you do not understand
- The notice
- The return for the year in question
- Any correspondence you already sent the IRS, with proof of mailing if you have it
Do not bring
Food, drinks, cameras and weapons are not allowed inside federal buildings. Most TACs are in federal office buildings with security screening at the door — budget five extra minutes for it.
If someone is going on your behalf
They need their own photo ID plus a completed Form 2848 or Form 8821 signed by you. Without one of those, the representative cannot discuss your account with them at all.