Protecting taxpayer civil rights

The Internal Revenue Service does not tolerate discrimination by its employees against anyone because of age, sex, color, disability, race, religion, and national origin (including limited English proficiency). Our no-tolerance stance also applies to anyone who volunteers or works with taxpayers in one of our assisted programs:

• Low Income Tax Clinics (LITC)
• Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA)
• Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE)

Taxpayer civil rights publications

The following publications help explain and reinforce the IRS commitment to protecting taxpayer civil rights:

• Publication 4053, Your Civil Rights are Protected PDF is displayed at all federally-assisted site locations.
• Publication 4053-C, Your Civil Rights are Protected PDF is displayed at federally-conducted site locations.
• Accessibility — Notice of rights

Making a request

If you are a taxpayer with a disability who needs a reasonable accommodation, or you have limited English proficiency and require language assistance, inform the IRS employee that you are working with about your need for assistance. In addition, if you encounter an individual that volunteers or works at a LITC, VITA or TCE site, inform the individual about your need for a reasonable accommodation or language assistance.

To receive correspondence from the IRS in your preferred language, complete and submit Schedule LEP PDF with your tax return. If you have a visual impairment and would like to receive correspondence from the IRS in an alternative media format such as Braille, large print, audio or electronic formats, complete and send Form 9000 PDF to the following:

Department of the Treasury
Internal Revenue Service
Kansas City, MO 64999-0002

We encourage you to work with our employees, and volunteers or staff members within our assisted programs, for help with getting a reasonable accommodation or language assistance. You can also contact the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Civil Rights Unit with questions about obtaining assistance by emailing us at edi.civil.rights.division@irs.gov. Please note that we cannot assist you with tax related matters. If you need assistance resolving tax issues with the IRS, contact the Taxpayer Advocate Service at 877-777-4778 or visit the Taxpayer Advocate webpage.

Filing a civil rights complaint

The Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Civil Rights Unit is tasked with upholding and protecting the civil rights of taxpayers. If you feel that an IRS employee, or the staff or volunteers affiliated with one of our assisted programs, has discriminated against you on the basis of your race, color, national origin (including limited English proficiency), religion, age, gender, or disability, send a written complaint PDF to the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Civil Rights Unit:

IRS Civil Rights Unit
1111 Constitution Avenue, NW
Room 2413
Washington, DC 20224
Email: edi.civil.rights.division@irs.gov.

Please note that the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Civil Rights Unit cannot assist you with tax related matters. Due to limited onsite personnel, we encourage you to submit your complaint to us by email (edi.civil.rights.division@irs.gov).  If you cannot submit your complaint by email, send your correspondence to the mailing address above, and we will process it as soon as conditions allow.

Additional information

If you have a general complaint about an IRS employee, contact the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA). TIGTA maintains comprehensive audit and investigative programs, including a strategic enforcement program emphasizing deterrence and detection approaches to ensure the highest degree of integrity and ethics in the IRS workforce. For information on how to submit a complaint to TIGTA, call 800-366-4484 or visit the TIGTA webpage.

For all other inquiries concerning taxpayer civil rights, contact the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Civil Rights Unit at the mailing address or email address above. While we cannot assist you with tax related matters, we encourage you to visit the IRS web site or call 800-829-1040 to obtain information on most commonly asked questions such as how to obtain your tax refund. If you believe that your matter cannot be handled by phone or online, schedule an appointment to speak with an IRS representative at your local Taxpayer Assistance Center (TAC) by calling 844-545-5640. When visiting the TAC, please be advised that you may be asked to provide valid photo identification and a Taxpayer Identification Number, such as a Social Security number, to receive services. In addition, if you suspect tax fraud activity, contact the IRS Tax Fraud Referral Hotline by calling 800-829-0433.