Case assignments are made by the Clinic Director or the Associate Director. The Clinic does not handle state tax issues. The Clinic only handles tax controversies involving civil federal income or employment taxes. The cases coming to the Clinic usually fall into in one of the following five types:
1. The taxpayer has received one of a variety of 30-day letters. The
preliminary 30-day letter proposes the redetermination of tax by the IRS.
This 30-day letter follows an audit (examination) by an IRS agent. It asks
the taxpayer to either sign and return an agreement to the examiner's
findings or request a conference with an appeals officer. The request for a
conference must be submitted within a 30-day period. Normally, a
"Protest" will be filed to request an appeals conference (hearing). This is
not a statutory deadline. Other 30-day letters impose statutory deadlines.
These letters are issued under Sections 6320 and 6330 and they follow the
assessment of tax. These letters permit a taxpayer to request a hearing to
appeal a lien or levy. If an appeal is denied, a taxpayer is then given 30
days to petition the Tax Court.
2. The taxpayer has received one of the statutory 90-day letters. One of the
90-day letters is a Statutory Notice of Deficiency issued under (IRC § 6212).
To be timely, this 90-day letter must be mailed by the IRS before the
expiration of the statute of limitations on assessment of tax. It permits the
taxpayer to petition the U.S. Tax Court for review of the deficiency prior to
payment. The petition must be filed within a 90-days after the letter is
mailed by the IRS to the taxpayer. The notice will indicate the last day on
which a petition may be filed. Failure to file a petition within the 90-day
period excludes the U.S. Tax Court from jurisdiction. Another 90-day letter
is issued under § 6015, which permits a taxpayer to petition the Tax Court
following denial by the IRS of Innocent Spouse relief.
3. The taxpayer pro se has filed a petition with the U.S. Tax Court pursuant to
the "small case" procedure and is seeking help with either settlement or
litigation.
4. The taxpayer has paid the claim and seeks to institute a refund 0suit in U.S.
District Court or Claims Court. In this situation, the taxpayer may have
bypassed the opportunity for administrative appeal or has not filed a
petition in U.S. Tax Court. The Clinic does not handle this type of case. A
referral to Legal Aid should be made.
5. The taxpayer has failed to respond to IRS pre-assessment letters, tax has
been assessed and the matter is in collections. The taxpayer may then
receive a statutory Notice of Lein or a statutory Notice of Levy. This type of
case will be accepted where there is a substantive tax issue involved or
where tax equity dictates it. If the matter has been transferred to
collections, it may be appropriate to prepare an Offer in Compromise or an
installment agreement. If a statutory notice is received the taxpayer has
only 30 days within which to challenge the collection action.
Many individuals who contact the Tax Clinic have not only significant tax problems, but also other legal or personal problems. These other problems may relate to unemployment, substance abuse, spousal abuse, child abuse, illiteracy, medical and emotional issues. You should be alert to the presence of these problems.
You should respect the client's privacy and be cautious to avoid offending the client by questioning him about suspected problems. However, you should be prepared to refer your client to an appropriate service agency if the client requests assistance with non-tax problems.
The Clinic maintains a list of agencies that are available to meet the special needs of Atlanta area residents. You should provide your client in writing with the name and telephone number of an appropriate agency that specializes in the applicable need, and you must disclaim any affiliation with the agency and refrain from guaranteeing results. If a referral is made, you should write a memo to the client's case file describing the circumstances surrounding the referral. The Clinic Director or the Associate Director should be consulted before a referral is made if you have any doubt about the advisability of the action. Otherwise, the Director or the Associate Director should be immediately advised of your referral.
During subsequent conversations with the client, you should avoid questioning him or her about the outcome of the referral.
