The IRS Extended Hours at 200+ Locations — But Closed 9 For Good

The IRS just announced extended hours at 200+ Taxpayer Assistance Centers through April 30. Some locations are adding Saturday hours through June.

Good news, right? Sure. Until you remember the IRS also closed at least 9 TACs for good this year.

Here's what CPAs need to know about where to send overflow clients - and why the extended hours might not be enough.

What's New

Starting now, many TACs will offer extended weekday hours through April 30. Some locations are adding Saturday hours through June 2026.

Taxpayers can use the TAC Locator tool on IRS.gov to check whether their nearest center has extended hours. The tool shows office locations, directions, available services, and updated operating hours.

Saturday hours cover all regular TAC services except cash payments. The IRS is warning taxpayers to check the website regularly - participating locations and their availability can change without notice.

The Context You Need

This year's extended hours are critical because of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). Taxpayers have questions about the new deductions for tips, overtime income, seniors, and car loans. Many need hand-holding on Schedule 1-A, which was just released last week.

Extended hours should help. But there's a twist.

The Irony

While the IRS is expanding hours at existing TACs, it's also shutting some down permanently. At least 9 centers have closed this year, and as of December 2025, 35 TACs were closed temporarily or unstaffed.

During a House Ways and Means hearing Wednesday, IRS Commissioner Frank Bisignano was asked if he planned to reopen the closed centers. His answer? Basically, no.

"The taxpayer centers closed before I came on board," Bisignano said. "I have not closed the taxpayer center since I've been here. We're serving more Americans than we ever have."

He pointed to a recent "Taxpayer Experience Day" that saw twice as many visitors as the prior weekend. Translation: we're doing more with less.

What the Watchdog Says

A January report from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) warned about the impact of TAC closures. During last fall's government shutdown, all 362 TAC offices were closed. When the shutdown ended in November 2025, many centers reopened - but not all.

TIGTA said "reductions in the number of open TAC offices could potentially result in fewer taxpayers being served during the 2026 Filing Season." As of May 2025, the IRS assisted nearly 1 million taxpayers in-person at TACs. By December 2025, 35 TAC offices were closed.

How to Use This

If you have clients who need in-person IRS help - especially for OBBBA questions or Schedule 1-A confusion - direct them to the TAC Locator now. Extended hours mean they might actually get seen without burning a full day waiting.

But set expectations: the IRS is stretched thin. TAC availability can change day-to-day due to staffing issues. Saturday hours don't accept cash payments. And if their local TAC was one of the 9 closed permanently, the nearest alternative could be hours away.

This is the tax filing season we've got: extended hours at fewer locations, with staff doing more with less. Plan accordingly.