IRS Taxpayer Advocate Service and UNM Low Income Taxpayer Clinic Present Free Income Tax Controversy Fair on February 28
January 16, 2015 - Tamara Williams
Tax issues for low-income taxpayers can be complex and overwhelming. This is particularly true when the IRS challenges the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Child Tax Credit, Head of Household Status or the Dependency Exemption claimed on the tax return.
Low-income taxpayers can register for a free income tax consultation on certain common tax issues at the New Mexico Income Tax Controversy Fair. The fair will be held on Saturday, Feb. 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Forum of the University of New Mexico, School of Law, located at 1117 Stanford N.E., Albuquerque, near the North Campus golf course. Free parking is available in Lot L next to the Law School.
Consultations and handouts will be available only to those who pre-register and who:
- Have a tax case pending before the U.S. Tax Court but are not represented by an attorney in that case;
- Have disputes with the IRS over
- the Earned Income Tax Credit
- the Child Tax Credit
- a Head of Household status and/or
- any dependency exemptions;
- Owe money to the IRS and would like to learn about
- how to make the IRS stop its collection efforts (“currently not collectible status”)
- how to make a settlement offer to the IRS (“offer in compromise”) or
- how to enter into an agreement to pay off your tax debt over time (“installment agreement”).
The first of its kind in the state, the New Mexico Income Tax Controversy Fair is a collaboration between the UNM Law School’s Business and Tax Clinic and the Taxpayer Advocate Service, an independent organization within the IRS. The fair will be staffed by third-year law students and supervised by licensed attorneys, including Mary Leto Pareja, Grace Allison, Serge Martinez, and Alfred Mathewson, all of whom teach in the Business and Tax Clinic. Erica Shaffor, the New Mexico Taxpayer Advocate, will be available to answer questions about the Taxpayer Advocate Services and provide information about the Taxpayer Bill of Rights.
Registration Information
To register, please call the School of Law’s Clinical Law Programs at 505.277.5265. On the day of the Fair, please bring with you all letters and notices you have received from the IRS as well as all paperwork you have sent to the IRS, including related federal income tax returns.
