Talk to someone at irs about refund

It can be quicker to speak to someone if you phone the direct number

Talk to someone at irs about refund

IRS Live Person Phone Number: How to reach a real person

When it comes to trying to get through to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the United States, sometimes you might get frustrated at trying to talk to someone online and would prefer to speak to a human over the phone.

There are a number of reasons as to why you might want to get in touch with the IRS, for instance if you are chasing up missing Child Tax Credit payments.

IRS live person phone number

Well, although the main IRS phone number is 800-829-1040, there are a variety of different numbers that you can call depending on the topic of your phone call.

  • Missing child tax credit payments: 800-908-4184
  • Stimulus check wrong amount or never received: 800-919-9835
  • Self-employed taxpayers with account or tax law questions: 800-829-4933
  • Identity and refund theft victims; get a new IP PIN: 800-908-4490
  • Disaster victims: 866-562-5227
  • Overseas taxpayers: 267-941-1000
  • Balance due questions: 800-829-0922; 800-829-7650; 800-829-3903
  • Estate and gift tax questions: 866-699-4083
  • Excise tax questions: 866-699-4096
  • Report phishing and other scams; see if an IRS agent's name and badge number are legit: 800-366-4484
  • Check status of a tax refund: 800-829-1954
  • Check status of a tax refund being held: 866-897-3315
  • Check status of an amended tax return: 866-464-2050
  • Order a tax transcript: 800-908-9946
  • Make a payment using Electronic Federal Tax Payment System: 800-555-4477
  • Report incorrect income on a substitute return: 866-681-4271
  • Verify, payoff or resolve a tax lien: 800-913-6050
  • See if bankruptcy changed your tax debt: 800-973-0424
  • Innocent spouse relief: 866-681-4271
  • See which debts will offset your tax refund: 800-304-3107
  • Lost ITIN documents: 800-908-9982
  • Status of application for Adoption Taxpayer Identification Number: 737-800-5511
  • Taxpayer Advocate Service: 877-777-4778
  • International Taxpayer Advocate: 787-522-8601
  • Tax assistance for the hard of hearing (TTY/TDD): 800-829-4059
  • Schedule an appointment with a local IRS office: 844-545-5640
  • Whistleblower hotline: 800-829-0433
  • Ask IRS to mail you paper tax forms: 800-829-3676
  • Find a free tax clinic near you: 800-906-9887; 888-227-7669

These lines are open Monday through Friday from 7am to 7pm, and you are likely to find that ringing one of these specific phone numbers will get your problem sorted quicker, rather than going through the general IRS phone number.

  • US News

Talk to someone at irs about refund

“Somebody PLEASE pick up the phone!”

It’s a desperate plea for many who want to speak with an IRS representative. It’s not uncommon for callers to wait on hold for hours to get through. Many times callers are lucky if they get a chance at all to speak with a live person at the IRS.





What IRS Number to Call

The IRS has several phone numbers available for the public to reach them. The number you dial will depend on the type of tax issue. Here are some of the most useful:

Individuals

(800) 829-1040

Monday to Friday

7am – 7pm

Business

(800) 829-4933

Monday to Friday

7am – 7pm

International

(267) 941-1000

Monday to Friday

6am – 11pm


Hearing Impaired 

TTY/TTD (800) 829-4059


Assistance in a Language Other than English 

(833) 553-9895


How Do I Reach a Real Person at the IRS

The phone lines at the IRS can get tied up pretty quickly. In our experience it is best to try calling either first thing in the morning or late in the day. Callers seem to have the most success towards the end of the week.

The Steps (for domestic individual issues):

  1. Call (800) 829-1040
  2. Choose your language (Press 1 for English) 
  3. Press 2 to speak with a live IRS person about your personal income tax
  4. At the next prompt press 1
  5. Then press 3
  6. Then press 2
  7. Ignore the next message(s) asking for your tax ID number
  8. When the next menu options are presented press 2 for individual tax
  9. Then press 3 to speak with an IRS customer service rep

TIP: If you are bilingual you may get connected faster if you choose to communicate with a live person in another language.

Other Options to Reach Someone at the IRS (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

If you’ve tried calling the IRS and still can’t get a live person another option is going to your local branch office. The IRS has taxpayer assistance centers throughout the country where taxpayers can go in and speak with a live person. 

NOTE: Due to COVID-19 some IRS taxpayer assistance centers require appointments.

Whether contacting the IRS by phone or walking into a taxpayer assistance center you should gather related documents before you speak with someone. If you received a letter from the IRS have it available. It is also a good idea to have a copy of your recent tax return.

You should also be aware of the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS). TAS is an independent department within the IRS that provides assistance to taxpayers when they cannot get issues resolved with the IRS.

Tax laws are always changing and that seems to be true now more than ever. Between the advanced child tax credit, PPP loans, stimulus checks, delayed tax refunds and other backlogs it’s easy to get lost with it all.

What to Have Before You Call

President Biden has announced plans to increase funding to the Internal Revenue Service. However, taxpayers have complained recently that calls to IRS customer service are a challenge with many on hold for hours and others not able to reach  a live person at all.

If you are fortunate to call and get through be ready. In addition to any IRS letters you’ve received have your tax return, Social Security number, tax ID and any other pertinent personal information in front of you to reference.

There’s nothing wrong with calling the IRS for certain things. However, be careful when it comes to taking tax advice from IRS representatives over the phone. There are many qualified and knowledgeable IRS representatives who answer calls but they may not know what’s the best tax move for your specific situation.

If this information helped you reach a live person at the IRS, share this page with others. If you still have a tax problem give us a call.

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