IRS offers phone, Web services

The Internal Revenue Service announced Nov. 10 that it is offering new telephone and computer services to help taxpayers with employment-tax questions.

According to an IRS press release, the agency is testing a special call site at its Martinsburg, W.Va., computing center to answer employment-tax questions.

Taxpayers may reach the site by calling 304-262-4400 (not a toll-free number) or by computer through a new "employment taxes" page on the IRS Web site.

The test will continue until Dec. 31, 1998.

The IRS is offering employers various types of assistance through its Web site, located at

www.irs.ustreas.gov.

Taxpayers may select "Tax Info for Business" from the site's home page, then go to "Employment Taxes" for links to specific subjects or services, the release stated.

Users may download related forms or publications, view frequently asked questions, access tax calendars, compute taxes to be withheld from employees or select interactive help to communicate with an IRS customer service representative.

Although the test of online, interactive help will end Dec. 31, the other Web services for employers will remain.

Taxpayers who have questions about their own account status should phone the Martinsburg site directly, rather than give account information online, the release stated.

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