Internal Revenue Service

Zero stars should be an option especially as it pertains to the IRS. After visiting
and not finding the answer to my question, I visited the Oakland office as the site directs you to an office if you need more help. Check in and security was all professional and fine. However, after waiting 1.5+ hrs. I saw a rep who was rude and completely unhelpful. His initial response was the same as the info on the website. When I asked for clarification he responded, «I don’t know». I asked if there was somewhere else to find additional information. He responded «I already answered your question». I thought maybe he didn’t understand what I was asking and every time his response was «I don’t know.» Well if the IRS is the agency responsible for determining tax codes, laws and their application you would hope they would have answers other than «I don’t know». Fortunately, I was able to get answers from Quora. Perhaps it was the rep I saw but his inability to do his job at least in a professional and courtesy manner is a complete waste of taxpayer dollars and his salary should be put

Highly professional in most all instances.

Went there at 8:30am got out at 11am and the workers there are bad and slow… plus I didn’t even get what I needed and I went back and they told me to get another ticket?! No star!!!

I’ve visited this office twice in the last three month. Both time I arrive right around 8am and was out with all questions answered by 9am.
I have avoided Mondays which apparently are horrible on wait times.
Best advice — Arrive early and avoid Mondays.

Long time waiting… Don’t know what are they doing ?(saw the employees play the cellphone and took a break after working 4 minutes). Making people waiting too long…

Horrible service don’t know how to talk to people every time I come here they are understaffed and mad about there job.

Visited the Oakland IRS office for the first time today, March 31^st. I mention that because I assume the closer to April 15^th, the longer the wait. I arrived at the Federal building at 8:25, five minutes before it and the IRS office inside open. The was already a line of about 30 people waiting in line for the building to open. The young lady in front of me said that she had come yesterday (Monday) at 11:00, and was told the IRS agents were all booked up for the day, and to try again another day. 11:00 AM (you CAN’T make appointments like the DMV, it’s strictly first come, first served)/!
When they opened the doors at 8:30, they let in one person at a time for security screening: phones, coins, belts, any metal, and shoes «in the basket.» The one-​at-​a-​time screening was slow – it took another 30 minutes before I even got into the building.
The doors to the IRS office are right off the security screening. You enter, the receptionist asks for a VERY short explanation why you’re there, and gives you a number. You sit in rows of chairs, four wide and maybe 25 rows. On either side of these chairs are rows of IRS agents cubicles with sliding glass doors. They call numbers out loud and on a TV monitor, just like at the DMV. They take people sort of in order, since not everyone is there for the same reason and not all the agents cover the same issues.
Bring a book! You can have your cell phone on, but can’t make or receive phone calls. I was there two hours – that’s two hours after I got into the building. My number was called and I entered the number of the designated «office.» My IRS agent was cordial and business whiteout showing much emotion or sympathy; just matter of fact like.
I had all the paperwork plus some (I had spent a couple hours on the phone to the IRS the week before (mostly on hold waiting, and mostly a waste of time – that’s why I was at the office. My issue was clear and pretty straight forward, so my meeting with the IRS agent took maybe 7 minutes.
Overall what was my experience? I think that was a very long wait for a simple problem. If you’ve been to a DMV office in the last couple years, take that experience and multiply it by at least two. Was it helpful? I got to talk to a real person and ask and get answers to my questions. Did it solve my problem? I have to wait for at least four weeks to see (the IRS agent’s estimate), then maybe it will be resolved, maybe not. Would I visit the Oakland IRS office again? Only if I absolutely had too.

I visited IRS Oakland office to file for ITIN for my wife. We came early on Friday around 9am, our wait time was 10 minutes. The lady who helped us was very meticulous and very helpful. The whole process took 30 minutes.
Pro’s:
–Good service
–Less crowded
–Shorter wait time
–IRS office is very close to Bart station (12^th Street/​Oakland City Center)
I was pleasantly delighted by the service.

Horrible, horrible, horrible, horribly mismanaged customer service. FEDERAL GET YOUR SH – T TOGETHER AND STOP WAISTING THE PUBLICS TIME. SERVE THE PUBLIC WITH GRACE… YOU DON’T OWN THIS. YOU ACT LIKE YOU ’ RE TRYING TO PROTECT MASSAS PROPERTY…
We are public servants too. They need to make necessary adjustments in this office and hire new professional clerks. The rudest people I’VE ever came across. You don’t deserve any stars I’m posting one because I can’t post unless I do… what the f !!!

I went this morning at 830am to get a printed transcript of 2013 forms W-​2, 1099, etc., and there was no line at security or the actual IRS office. The woman working the front desk was very gracious and instructed me to take a number. My number was 851, and they were currently on 850. Within a few minutes, my number was called, and five minutes later, I was walking out with my transcript. The best advice: go in the morning and keep the request simple. I imagine more complicated appointments at later times will result in poorer customer service.

The worse service ever. So I told the Asian guy at the desk why I was there, and he gave me a number and i waited until I got called, so I went in, gave this black lady my Number my number and I told her why I was there, and she was Whatttttt very unprofessional didn’t like didn’t understand anything not willing to help at all I don’t know why she works there, I got send at the desk again and got a mother number and waited for 3 more hours, unbelievable… Worse service ever, it’s gets so frustrated. They’re Lucky that people can’t bring any weapon other wise… They don’t deserve not even one star

I got here when they first opened this morning. There were 4 people ahead of me. It’s been almost 1 hour and only 2 people have been helped by the same employee. I hope that I never have to return here. Even the DMV by the Oakland coliseum is more efficient than this place.

Horrible and rude workers. it is a waist of time trying to get 1 thing done. it’s a handful of ppl waiting and only 2 employees working. I hope I never have to come here again

A lot ppl and long line there. But ppl are really nice. Just waiting time a little bit too long over 2 hours.

Calling the IRS is a joke. The wait hold times they quote you — ridiculous
Over the years — I’ve had a few occasions to call the number they provide. Either they have you hold forever, forcing you to hang up or they give you mediocre information and asking you to call back. The infinite loop can be just slightly annoying!
I was so happy to discover that I could just WALK into an IRS office.
My first time — just dropping off taxes — took all of two minutes!
My most recent time required some changes to my taxes. The first time I went in, was told the wait was to be an hour. I thought, okay — I waited that long on the phone with no luck. They ended up taking me in way less time. I received answers quickly and it was great. Unfortunately, I did have to go back. I went back and got a young man (honestly I have no clue if he was young or not, good genes) and I took him more information and what I had to try to completely fix my problem. I was short ONE piece of information.
He said for me to come back on Monday (it was Friday) and to not worry with a number and that he would fix it in five minutes.
Sure enough, I was able to go in on Monday AM, took all of 5 mins and I was done!
PROS —
Getting a live, knowledgeable person!
Getting information on the spot and not having to deal with being on hold or told to call back
Being able to get there via public transportation — 12^th Street BART Station is right there
CONS —
The parking if you had to drive to the building
The airport-​type security to get into the building — slightly a hassle if you have a bunch of stuff with you
If you have to wait — don’t let them see you on your phone playing a game — they will tell you that they are NOT allowed
The abruptness of the workers. Yes — they do their job, they are professional but most of them are in serious need of a hug. I always ask politely how their day is going and at most I get a look and a grunt.
Will never waste my time calling — going is always better!

Generally, I don’t like to give a government agency a bad review since I am a government employee with the State of California.
Today I had a day off from my job and decided that my husband and I needed to get the tax forms and instruction booklets from the state and federal offices. I headed to the State Building and he went to the Federal Building, which are right across the street from each other.
We had to go back to the Federal Building because hubby picked up the wrong instruction booklet (1040A). Well, there wasn’t a single copy of the 1040 instructions on the shelf. My hubby had to wait in a long line, be screened by security and then allowed to enter the IRS office to get the booklet.
Meanwhile, I was waiting in the lobby. A Chinese woman was standing around and she needed the 1040 instruction booklet, too. She mentioned to an IRS employee who was leaving to go on her break that there were no 1040 booklets. The employee told her to get in line and wait like everybody else to get in. Seeing that occurring, it’s no wonder people complain about the bureaucracy of government agencies. How long would it have taken for the employee to turn around, go back to the office, get a 1040 booklet for the person and replenish the shelf with more 1040 booklets? A sacrifice of a few minutes to go above and beyond the call of duty would be much better than to have a person stand in line waiting for more than 10 minutes to have access to the IRS office. It’s a terrible thing to have a civil service employee (city, county, state and/​or federal) turn his/​her back on the public without being helpful. Maybe there are rules to be followed, but rules can be bent (not broken) to accommodate the public at the discretion of the employee.
Fortunately, my hubby was still in line and I asked him to bring out two 1040 instruction booklets — one for us; one for the woman. He told me there weren’t any 1040 booklets on the shelf, but he grabbed two of them from the counter. Voila, mission accomplished. She thanked us for helping her.

Calling the IRS requires waiting on hold for an hour, only to talk to someone completely incompetent. Or you’ll wait on hold, finally get a human who will transfer your call and then your call will get disconnected/you’ll get hung up on and have to call back to repeat the process and get nowhere. There is absolutely no point in calling the IRS.
The IRS office is a much more pleasant experience and the people will actually provide useful information. There is a wait, but it’s not too bad. Not like the DMV, that’s for sure. You’ll probably be in and out in less than an hour.
The downside to this particular office is dealing with the scam that is Oakland parking. You can find a meter without too much trouble, but it’s probably broken or it will eat your change without adding time.

If you have a tax situation that’s worrying you, do not hesitate to go to the Oakland IRS office to get help. The people in this office are very nice, extremely helpful, and do not cop any attitude whatsoever.
I owed two years worth of taxes and had procrastinated because I couldn’t afford to pay (the self-​employment tax kills me). After I got a scary notice in the mail, I tried calling the IRS many times and never even got through. So I looked up the Oakland office, read a review here on Unilocal saying the people were nice, and I went on over there.
Sure enough, they were great. They gave me an installment plan with a very small monthly payment, showed me how to pay it online, and gave me information and forms for an offer-​in-​compromise should I decide to go that route in the future.
Let’s face it, we all want the services our taxes pay for, but few of us want to pay our share in taxes. I am really grateful that these nice people at the Oakland IRS building have made it possible for me to pay my share.

I have been to the IRS office in Oakland twice in the last 6 months. I always go there early so I have to wait until they open. Security makes you stand outside til the office open. Then you need a ID. like you do at the airports. They have metal detector and x-​ray machine. They are very cordial. Once inside the IRS office reception is very clear and nice on how they do things. I was helped promptly and given the resources to deal with my issues. They were nice and very pleasant extremely helpful. No more scary monsters or ogre like. I guess those people are retired. :-)
So no need to be afraid anymore. maybe .LOL