{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.collins.senate.gov/newsroom/senator-collins-announces-the-reopening-of-irs-taxpayer-assistance-centers-in-augusta-and-bangor", "Senator Collins Announces the Reopening of IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers in Augusta and Bangor", "2026-07-06", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "Senate", "ME", "Susan M. Collins", "C001035", "www.collins.senate.gov", "collins", "https://www.collins.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "BANGOR, ME \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) CEO Frank Bisignano announced that Taxpayer Assistance Centers (TACs) in Augusta and Bangor have reopened as of Monday, July 6, 2026, with current IRS staff assigned to each location. This announcement follows Senator Collins' questioning of Secretary Bessent about TAC closures in Maine at a recent Senate Appropriations Committee hearing. The IRS is also seeking permanent staff for each TAC to provide assistance to Mainers.\n\n\u201cToday\u2019s announcement is welcome news for Mainers who rely on in-person assistance to navigate our tax system. Reopening the Taxpayer Assistance Centers in Augusta and Bangor will make an enormous difference for our seniors, rural residents, and other Mainers who should not have to travel hundreds of miles simply to get help from the IRS,\u201d said Senator Collins. \u201cI appreciate Secretary Bessent\u2019s responsiveness to my concerns and will continue working to better ensure that Mainers have access to the federal services they need and deserve.\u201d\n\n\u201cTreasury and the IRS remain committed to delivering efficient, accessible services to taxpayers across the country. Reopening the Taxpayer Assistance Centers in Augusta and Bangor is an important step toward improving access for Maine taxpayers to support closer to home,\u201d said Treasury Secretary Bessent. \u201cI appreciate Senator Collins\u2019 leadership in bringing this issue to my attention and her partnership as we expand in-person services in the great State of Maine.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Internal Revenue Service is committed to serving taxpayers in communities in Maine and across the country,\u201d said IRS CEO Bisignano. \u201cTaxpayer Assistance Centers like the offices re-opening in Bangor and Augusta provide essential, face-to-face support to Americans seeking guidance and assistance with tax-related issues. Whether in-person, online or on the phone, the IRS is dedicated to meeting taxpayers where they need help.\u201d\n\nBackground\n\nTACs are physical offices that offer assistance to individuals who lack stable internet access, need help navigating technology, or otherwise need in-person assistance with their taxes. The State of Maine has the oldest population by median age in the country and a large rural population, and ensuring convenient access to these services remains especially important.\n\nReopening the Augusta and Bangor TACs expands access to these essential services, allowing more Mainers to receive IRS services closer to home and providing more options for taxpayers across the state to get the help they need.\n\nIn addition to questioning Secretary Bessent on this issue at the Treasury Department\u2019s budget review hearing in April, Senator Collins, with members of the Maine delegation, sent a letter to Secretary Bessent in March requesting that the IRS reopen the TACs in Augusta and Bangor.\n\nIRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers in Maine\n\nAugusta\n\n68 Sewall St.\n\nSummer Hours: July 6 \u2013 September 30, 2026\n\nMonday: 1:00 p.m. \u2013 4:30 p.m.\n\nTuesday \u2013 Thursday: 8:30 a.m. \u2013 4:30 p.m.\n\nFriday: CLOSED\n\nRegular business hours commence in the early fall.\n\nBangor\n\n202 Harlow St., Suite 20300\n\nSummer Hours: July 6 \u2013 September 30, 2026:\n\nMonday: 12:00 p.m. \u2013 4:30 p.m.\n\nTuesday \u2013 Thursday: 8:30 a.m. \u2013 4:30 p.m.\n\nFriday: 8:30 a.m. \u2013 12 p.m.\n\nRegular business hours commence in the early fall.\n\nSouth Portland\n\n440 Western Ave.\n\nRegular Hours:\n\nMonday \u2013 Friday: 8:30 a.m. \u2013 4:30 p.m.\n\nPresque Isle (Virtual Service Delivery location)\n\n39 Second St. \u2013 Mark and Emily Turner Memorial Library\n\nRegular virtual assistance available by appointment only on Tuesday and Thursday by calling 844-545-5640.\n\nIRS Virtual Service Delivery allows taxpayers to meet virtually with an IRS assistor using secure video technology to receive many of the same services available at a TAC.\n\n+++\n\nTaxpayers are reminded to make an appointment before visiting all TACs. To schedule an appointment at a local office, call 844-545-5640 from 7:00 a.m. \u2013 7:00 p.m.\n\nTaxpayers should bring two original forms of ID, including a current government-issued photo ID. Other acceptable forms of ID can be found on the contact your local office page. The IRS contact your local office page has more information on IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers, including addresses, phone numbers and hours.\n\nClick here to read more about this announcement from the IRS.\n\n###", 1, "2026-07-07T08:20:12Z", "2026-07-07T08:22:09Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.collins.senate.gov/newsroom/senator-collins-announces-the-reopening-of-irs-taxpayer-assistance-centers-in-augusta-and-bangor"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.3632978554815054, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}