From IRS Media Relations:

Taxpayers in need of service at the Oakland, Ca. IRS office will now need to call to schedule an appointment. However, they should first see if they can get online assistance. Taxpayers requiring assistance should call 1-844-545-5640 to schedule an appointment at the Taxpayer Assistance Center, located at 1301 Clay St. in Oakland. The IRS is taking calls for appointments starting on Sept. 6 or later.

The IRS is moving to an appointment service at this office as part of an ongoing effort to eliminate lines and reduce frustration for taxpayers and for IRS employees wanting to assist them. The agency tested various methods of scheduling an appointment. Prior studies show that many taxpayers visit the IRS site to get a tax transcript, make a payment, resolve a notice, obtain a form or publication or ask about their refund. All of these issues can often be resolved online without traveling to an IRS office. In fact, the IRS website offers numerous online options that can save people time and effort.

Services include the following: people can check their refund status and estimated delivery date; free tax software offered through IRS partners to allow you to file your taxes online; users are able to order a transcript online and have it mailed; direct pay allows users to make tax payments or estimated payments directly from a checking or savings account; the electronic federal tax payment system allows individuals or businesses to make all types of federal tax payments; an online payment agreement allows eligible taxpayers can set up installment payments for taxes owed; taxpayers can track the status of their amended return; answers to tax law question provide direct links to helpful resources to answer many questions; and all IRS forms and publications allow users to find and download current tax forms, instructions and publications. For additional information on available services, visit Publication 5136, the IRS services guide.