Faxing 2848 to IRS Pract. Priority Serv.

I have noticed over time that when I call the IRS Practitioner Priority Service and I fax a power of attorney, it often takes a long time for the fax to go through.

Today (Thurs., Nov 1), I was on the phone for a half hour just waiting to talk to a real person. Then when I finally got through, talked with the IRS employee, and faxed the power of attorney, the IRS person terminated the call after about 15 minutes -- because she had not received the fax. By this time, I had been on the phone about 45 minutes.

I have had other IRS personnel tell me the same story: under their "rules," they can wait only so long for the fax. But this is the first time that I have had an IRS employee terminate the call -- which means I have to start all over.

(Faxing the POA to CAF is of course a different procedure. You have to wait several days for the POA to be posted on the IRS computer, and sometimes I just need information immediately.)

The recorded message on the Practitioner Priority Service line today says that the practitioner's wait can be up to an hour, just to begin talking with an IRS employee. It is inconsistent for the IRS to allow itself a half hour to an hour just to answer the phone, and not allow the same length of time for the tax practitioner. Trying to justify this IRS practice by saying that the IRS has other callers who are waiting for access would be a dubious rationalization.

Meanwhile, I'm not sure whether the problem with the delay getting a fax through to the Practitioner Priority Service is a technical problem on my end or, alternatively, on the IRS end of the line. Has anyone else here experienced this sort of delay in sending faxes to the IRS?

I have had no problems faxing POA's. I usually fax it, and within 3-5 minutes, they have it. I have a standard fax machine attached to my phone line. What kind of fax set-up do you have?

I use electronic fax and it takes 1-3 minutes after I press send to get confirmation it was sent, then 1-2 minutes for the agent to acknowledge receipt.

Also called PPS last Tuesday for something. No hold time and got through right away. It was for a business not in collections.

Even during busy season a call to the IRS was usually just a 20 minute hold. I've been impressed the past year.

Agree that problem may be OP's fax service.

I use Concord Fax and they usually get it 1-3 minutes after I send.

I have had no problems faxing POA's. I usually fax it, and within 3-5 minutes, they have it. I have a standard fax machine attached to my phone line. What kind of fax set-up do you have?

It's an "email" type of fax, through AT&T, like this:

[phonenumber]@onlinefax.att.com

Do you always have that much lag time when you send a fax to someone else? My thought is that the problem is with the fax service.

Might want to see if your service has a 'print to fax' plugin. Might be faster than email fax.

Do you always have that much lag time when you send a fax to someone else? [ . . .]

Someone else?

Someone else?

You mean you can send faxes to people other than the IRS?

I think I need to get out and see the world a little more.....



Seriously, we really don't use the fax capability for anything other than faxes to the IRS Practitioner Priority Service and the IRS CAF unit.

Everything else is done by "regular" Email, pretty much.

LOL! I basically have one older client that uses the fax. I bought a cheap fax machine at Staples for around $30-40 just so I would have it for him and the IRS. Also eliminated my extra phone line I had for the fax. The only issue is, I have to be here to answer the phone for a fax to come through. My client knows this, so he just calls before he sends something.

I have an old fashion fax and it takes years to it it through to them. I hope i can blame it on them. CPs are responded to by fax almost all the time.

Old, but still trying!!!

I use an old fashion fax and usually only have to wait a few minutes for it to get to the agent.

For me, it seems to depend upon the location of the Service Center - Philadelphia is brutal.