What is the phone number for the internal revenue service

How to Contact the IRS

What is the phone number for the internal revenue service

by Ca Lefson

Not sure where to start? The primary IRS contact number is:

1-800-829-1040

Contact the IRS using this toll-free number to start with for most general questions. Use the resources below for a list of IRS contact numbers and online chat options which pertain to specific questions or situations.

We recommend you first explore these IRS and/or eFile.com online options before you call as the phone holding times might be longer than usual during tax season:

  • Where is my IRS tax refund?
  • Where is my state tax refund?
  • Pay your IRS taxes free online via direct bank transfer or credit card.
  • Create your free IRS Account to look up payments, old returns, transcripts, your IP PIN, and more.
  • Get the status of your IRS tax amendment.
  • Find your IRS mailing address based on the state you reside.
  • Access IRS and state tax return rejection codes.
  • Search for IRS and state tax forms, publications, and resources.
  • Contact eFile.com via your Personal Tax Support Page for specific questions regarding your return or account.

See tips on contacting the IRS plus other resources. Learn how to contact the IRS below via phone and live online chat. You can contact a real person at the IRS after working through some automated prompts using any of the IRS phone numbers on this page.

The IRS offers several free customer phone services to taxpayers by subject; the updated phone numbers are listed below. The IRS has several waves of voice bots or automated A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) to alleviate the long wait for contacting to a live IRS representative. During tax season, taxpayers could wait for over an hour on the phone for only a chance to speak to a live person. Did you know there are no automated assistants on eFile.com? Contact us and you will only ever speak to a live human representative.

The IRS virtual assistants or bots allow a caller to work through a series of automated questions in order to obtain information without waiting on hold for hours. This also helps keep caller volume limited as IRS representatives will not be handling as many calls because the virtual bots will solve many of these. Use the below IRS contact numbers for general questions, to retrieve account payment history, your refund status, or report identity theft.

1-800-829-1040

Call the main IRS customer service tax assistance hotline for answers to specific tax questions and individual assistance. The hotline is open Monday through Friday, from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time.

1-800-829-1954

Call the automated Refund Hotline to check the status of your tax refund, or if you received your refund check but it was lost or destroyed. You will need to enter your Social Security number, your filing status, and the refund amount on your return.

1-800-908-4490

Identity Theft Hotline

1-800-829-4933

Business and Specialty Help Line

1-866-699-4083

Estate and Gift Taxes

1-866-699-4096

Excise Taxes

1-877-829-5500

Non-profit Taxes

1-866-455-7438

Information Reporting Program

1-877-777-4778

IRS Taxpayer Advocate

1-844-545-5640

IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers (TAC)

1-800-829-3676

Order Tax Forms

1-800-829-4059

TTY/TDD Telephone Service for the Hearing Impaired 

1-215-516-2000

Tax Help for U.S. Taxpayers Residing in Canada

Throughout 2020, 2021, and 2022, the IRS has become incredibly difficult to reach - see tax news updates on IRS phone call volume and resource usage. Their implementation of automated assistants aims to alleviate some of this, but still leaves taxpayers confused as these bots can only do so much. When you contact an eFile.com Taxpert®, you will only ever receive a reply from a real human. Get personalized Taxpert® support, completely free.

IRS Customer Service, Online Live Chat

In March of 2022, the IRS implemented chat bots and live agents in order to give a quick, online means to contact an IRS representative with simple questions. The automated responses can also answer questions before connecting to a real person. The IRS live chat feature can be found on many of their pages by clicking the "Start a conversation" button found at the bottom of a limited number of IRS webpages.

If you plan to chat with the IRS online, have your information ready for verification. You may be able to get information on your tax refund status or make a one-time payment. As a user, you are given prompts based on the page you are on. The IRS customer service chat is similar to many other automated chat services that can transfer you to a real person if the robot cannot help solve your question or concern. On eFile.com, you will be immediately connected with a real person to help with your taxes or answer general questions. Create a free eFile account for personalized support based on your real-time tax information.

IRS Face-to-Face Meeting

You can also make an appointment at your local IRS office for help; due to staffing complications and other issues, these appointments may be limited or difficult to come by. Once you have identified your local office, you can use the IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center number to schedule an in-person IRS appointment: 1-844-829-3676.

IRS Phone Service Wait Times

Throughout 2021 and 2022, the IRS has provided many reports showing the extent of their staffing shortages, refund delays, and call wait times. See details on IRS return and refund processing delays here and review the points below for details on how IRS resources have been overutilized.

Calls Received

40,796,555

55,567,317

167,396,426

72,811,503

Calls Answered

10,082,963

11,605,369

15,667,499

7,453,961

Percent of Calls Answered

25%

21%

9%

10%

Percent Level of Service

59%

52%

19%

18%

Average speed of Answer
(In Minutes)

13

17

20

29

The number of callers has gone up substantially while the amount of IRS staff has not increased enough, resulting in a declining rate of calls answered. The IRS aims to get this under control over the remainder of 2022 and into 2023.

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How do you speak to a live person at the IRS?

Contact an IRS customer service representative to correct any agency errors by calling 800-829-1040. Customer service representatives are available Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time, unless otherwise noted (see telephone assistance for more information).

What phone number is 800 829 0922?

Visit www.irs.gov/paymentplan for more information on installment agreements and online payment agreements. You can also call us at 1- 800-829-0922 to discuss your options. For information on how to obtain your current account balance or payment history, go to www.irs.gov/balancedue.