The Internal Revenue Service is giving taxpayers who aren't under examination a new option that promises to make it easier for them to request relief when they need to file international tax forms and documents past a deadline.
They will now be able to fax requests for relief as part of the agency's efforts to bolster taxpayer service.
It's part of an overall strategy to go paperless over the next few years (
"Across the IRS, our teams are working to make improvements to help people, and this electronic option removes a step in the paper process that can help save time and ease the burden on international taxpayers as well as the tax pros serving them," said IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel in a statement Friday. "This is part of our larger effort to transform the IRS and help taxpayers."
To be sure, fax technology may not sound exactly like full digitalization, but it's a move in the right direction, even though most offices no longer have fax machines. It at least avoids the problem of having to send the documents through the mail, which can take weeks from foreign addresses.
Requests can be sent by fax to (855) 582-4842, though it's unclear whether these toll-free U.S. numbers can be used internationally. In any case, fax numbers can often be reached through online fax services like eFax without the need for a landline.
Guidance for faxing in each request is available at these links:
