An Internal Revenue Office (IRS) in Houston was forced to shut its doors in front of hundreds of taxpayers waiting to file their taxes due to a fight between two individuals in line, according to local reports.
Houston police were called to the IRS office in Alliance Tower in the Braeburn Glen neighborhood southwest of Downtownat around 9:20 a.m. on Saturday to help disperse the crowd after two people started fighting while waiting for their turn inside, forcing the office to close unexpectedly. According to The Houston Chronicle, people had come from as far as Louisiana to file their taxes in the city's office.
A taxpayer among those in line in front of the office on Saturday, Kanika Allen, told the newspaper that "everybody got to suffer for them two that had the fight." The incident comes just days before the official tax-filing deadline of Monday, April 15.
While most taxpayers would have likely filed their taxes by now, as this year's tax-filing season began on January 29, these are crucial days for those who have yet to do so. Taxpayers who have requested an extension have until October 15, while taxpayers in Maine and Massachusetts have a due date of April 17.
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A line of taxpayers waiting to file their taxes started forming as early as 4 a.m., witnesses told the Chronicle, as the day marked the last opportunity for a "face-to-face" tax-filing event before the Monday deadline. The events allow taxpayers who might be having difficulties during the process or might have some questions about it to talk to IRS employees in person without an appointment.
The next closest location for walk-ins was Austin—more than 146 miles away and thus an impossible destination to reach for many who had already traveled some distance to reach the Houston branch.
FOX 26 reported that the fight between the two individuals on Saturday broke right after the office opened its doors as "a wave of people" tried to enter the building.
Newsweek contacted the IRS and Houston Police Department for comment by email on Sunday outside standard working hours.
In a statement issued on Saturday after the closure of the Houston office, the IRS said: "Delays on Saturday occurred due to overwhelming taxpayer demand for assistance, and the IRS is committed to serving those who weren't able to receive in-person help. For people we couldn't serve in person, we are collecting names and numbers when possible so an IRS representative can call them back."
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The agency added: "To further assist taxpayers in the Houston area, we will be taking special steps to help on Monday and throughout the week. We will be working to fully staff our offices next week and adding more people to help on our phone lines."
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Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek Reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on U.S. and European politics, global affairs ... Read more
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