Taxpayers throughout Iowa will soon be receiving their 1998 federal tax packages. Nationwide, the IRS is sending out about 59 million income tax packages and expects to receive around 126 million tax returns in 1999. About 1.3 of those returns will be from Iowa taxpayers.

The IRS is kicking off this year’s tax filing season with expanded telephone and walk-in assistance in most of its offices. According to the IRS, taxpayers will find it easier than ever to get tax help from the IRS by phone, by computer or in person.

This year, taxpayers may reach IRS tax assistors 24 hours a day, seven days a week by calling 1-800-TAX-1040. Forms and publications may be ordered by calling the IRS at 1-800-TAX-FORM Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. - 11 p.m. and Saturdays from 6 a.m. - 10 p.m.

If you have a computer, answers to your tax questions are as close as the IRS Digital Daily on the World Wide Web at:

http://www.irs.ustreas.gov

Once you are on-line, you’ll find tax forms and publications, tax tables, rate schedules, tax regulations with simple explanations, and answers to the most frequently-asked questions. Last year, the Digital Daily received more than 340 million hits with taxpayers downloading more than 35 million forms, publications and a variety of topic-oriented tax information.

If you need general tax information, call Tele-Tax. Tele-Tax has recorded tax information about more than 150 topics. To listen to a directory of topics, ask for topic number 123. A directory of Tele-Tax topics is also located in the instruction booklet that comes with your federal tax form.

If you prefer to drop by an IRS office, you’ll find that many IRS offices have expanded their hours and will offer Saturday service beginning January 16. You can visit the IRS office in Cedar Rapids in the APAC Building, 425 Second Street SE, Suite 500. Taxpayer service is available Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.