How to Contact the IRS
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 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:
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 automated prompts using any of the IRS phone numbers on this page.
IRS Contact Numbers
The IRS offers taxpayers several free customer phone services 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 a live IRS representative. During tax season, taxpayers could wait 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; you will only ever speak to a live human representative.
The IRS virtual assistants or bots allow a caller to work through automated questions to obtain information without waiting on hold for hours. This also helps keep caller volume limited as IRS representatives will not handle as many calls because the virtual bots will solve many of these. Use the below IRS contact numbers to answer general questions, retrieve account payment history, check 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 if you received your refund check but it was lost or destroyed. You must enter your Social Security number, 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 chatbots and live agents 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 at the bottom of a limited number of IRS web pages.
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 increased 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 in the coming years.
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