Tax Advocate Service help/experience

[barnaba]

I still have not received my tax refund,. and it has been going on 8 weeks since I faxed over all my documents to the IRS fax number. At this point I have no choice but to contact TAS.

Could someone explain to me how that process works exactly?

1. From what I read, oftentimes these days you wont be able to reach anyone directly and you will have to leave a voicemail, and then someone will call you back later/next day.

2.Can the return call be scheduled in some way, or should I just expect a call for the next couple of days? I cannot even really carry my cellphone on me at work, not to mention actually answer calls due to safety reasons and actual regulations. is it possible to schedule a call later in the day etc. or at the very least do the calls come from the same number as the TAS center (or caller ID saying TAS)?

2. Should I explain my situation in the message I leave, or just state my name/number and ask for a call back, and then once they assign a TAS agent I should explain my situation to them directly?

3.Will they have access to my information (same as the IRS CR agents on the phone?), or are they mainly a go-between?

4.Any additional description of TAS experiences will be appreciated.