Toll-free·Calls Customer Service·Most popular The IRS number
Q:How do I get a live human at The IRS?
A:Press 1 for English, then press 2 for Personal Income Taxes, and then push 1, then 3, then 2, then 0# when it asks for your social security number, then 2
Q:Does The IRS offer 24 hour customer service?
A:Not at this number; hours here are Mon-Fri 7am-7pm EST.The least busy day is Thursday, and the most busy day is Tuesday. Details
Q:How long will I have to wait on hold?
A:The average hold time is 29 minutes.The longest hold times are on Monday, and the shortest are on Wednesday.
Toll-free · Select English, then 3, then 0#, 0#, 0# · If you received a notice about employment tax forms 940, 941, 943, 944, 945, press 1. Balance due and want to make a payment, press 2. For all other questions, press 3.
Toll-free · Use this number for the Federal Payment Levy Program · Stimulus payments, 800-919-9835. To access account information, please enter your social security number or tax ID number for which you are calling.
Toll-free · Press 1, then 1, then 0#, then 0#, then 0# · Stimulus payments, visit the website or call 800-919-9835. To access account information, please enter your social security number or tax ID number for which you are calling.
Toll-free · Choose English, then 0#, 0#, 0# · Stimulus payment information, press 3. Notice or letter you received, press 1. Check status of refund, press 2.
Toll-free · Select English, then 1, then 0#, 0#, 0# · Stimulus payment information, press 3. Notice or letter you received, press 1. Check status of refund, press 2.
Toll-free · Automated--enter your Social Security Number to retrieve your wage and income transcript · Transcript Order Line - enter the social security number from which you are calling.
Calling this The IRS number should go right to a real human being · Stimulus payments or child tax payments, visit the website, individual I10 number, press 2. US certifications or forms 6166, press 3. Calling outside the United States, press 4. If you have an extension code, press 5. All other callers, press 6.
Toll-free · Keep pressing 0 · Enter your tax ID number followed by the pound sign.
How do I get through the phone menu to a real live person?
GetHuman researchers routinely call this The IRS phone number to document the phone system.
Here is our latest tip for weaving through the phone menu to get to a real person the fastest:Press 1 for English, then press 2 for Personal Income Taxes, and then push 1, then 3, then 2, then 0# when it asks for your social security number, then 2
Here is how our research team describes the way the The IRS phone system greets you: Refund, or check status of tax return, press 1. Eligibility, clean vehicle credit, tax transcripts, tax reform law, press 2. Answers about your business taxes, press 3. Healthcare law, press 4. Personal or business taxes as they relate to healthcare, press 5. FAQ or to make a one-time payment, press 6. Questions about stimulus payment, press 7. Advance child action payment, press 8.
Below are some clips we've found from The IRS's phone menus and tips that help give an idea of what you will encounter when you call. We've highlighted why they are important as well:
Heard when the phone system first answers
"Welcome to the internal revenue service.
You can also visit us at w w w dot IRS dot gov.
To continue in English, press one.
For questions about your refund, or to check the status of your form ten forty x amended For questions about a form you have already submitted or a payment, or to order a tax transcript, press one."
Excerpt from a call with The IRS
Wednesday, January 17, 2024 10:33 PM
They may ask your reason for calling (instead of a menu)
"Thank you for calling the IRS.
Your call may be recorded to help us improve our service, so please do not include any personal details at this time.
Now in a few words, please tell us why you are calling."
Excerpt from a call with The IRS
Wednesday, March 6, 2024 7:24 PM
They may ask you to enter information with the dial pad
"Welcome to the internal revenue service.
You can also visit us at w w w dot IRS dot gov.
To continue in English, press one.
For questions about your refund, or to check the status of your form ten forty x, amended tax return, press one.
For questions about eligibility for a clean vehicle credit or form k ninety nine k answers about personal income taxes or the tax reform law?
Calculating your income tax withholding, or ordering a for questions about a form you have already submitted, or a payment or to order for questions about your refund, or to to find out how to correct the form you already filed, Please wait.
To access your account information, please enter the Social Security number or employer identification number for which you are calling."
Excerpt from a call with The IRS
Thursday, March 14, 2024 12:58 PM
They may ask you to say or enter information
"Welcome to the internal revenue service.
You can also visit us at w w w dot IRS dot gov.
To continue in English, press one.
For questions about your refund, or to check the status of your form ten forty x, amend the tax return, press or say one."
Excerpt from a call with The IRS
Thursday, March 28, 2024 5:55 PM
The first phone menu
"Thank you for calling the internal revenue service.
Your call may be recorded to help us improve our service.
Please do not include any personal details at this time.
Now in a few words, please tell us why you are calling.
This hotline is designed for taxpayers who want to know the status of their tax refund or their amended return, and to provide general information for individual taxpayers.
If you have a different tax related question, please visit us online at I r s dot gov to see all of the tools available to you.
Now if you're calling about the status of your refund, say refund or press one.
If it's about your amended return, say amended return or press two."
Excerpt from a call with The IRS
Tuesday, April 9, 2024 8:52 PM
After you press 3
"I understand full sentences. So you can say things like, does where's my refund show the processing stages of my return?
Or can I file an amended return for previous years?
Or why did you mail me a paper check? Or can I file my amended return electronically?
Now what is your question?
Okay. I understand full sentences. So you can say things like, does where's my refund show the processing stages of my return?
Or can I file an amended return for previous years?
Or why did you mail me a paper check? Or can I file my amended return electronically?
Now what is your question?
This hotline is designed for taxpayers who want to know the status of their tax refund or their amended return and to provide general information for individual taxpayers.
If you have a different tax related question, please visit us online at I r s dot gov to see all of the tools available to Sorry.
Let's try again. If you'd like information about your refund, press one.
For your amended return, press two."
Excerpt from a call with The IRS
Tuesday, March 12, 2024 1:59 AM
What are the hours and when should I call?
The IRS operates the call center for this 800-829-1040 phone number Mon-Fri 7am-7pm ET.The short answer is that you should call on a Thursday.This observation and the following section are based on analysis of a sample set of 1,237 calls made in the last 90 days using our free, web-based phone (see above).
An important note: busy times vs hold times vs best time to call
When we refer to busy or less busy times, we are talking about the volume of calls. The busiest times are when the most people are calling this The IRS phone number (least busy times have fewer people calling). This high call volume does not necessarily mean that you will have a long hold time when you call. Companies like The IRS staff their call centers differently based on the time of day and day of the week, so you may experience a shorter wait on hold at the busiest of times. When we refer to the best time to call, we are referring to the optimal combination of lower call volume and shorter wait times.
The least busy time to call
The least busy day to call The IRS is Thursday.The most busy day to call is Tuesday, which averages 32% more phone calls by comparison.Again, this is based on a sample of 1,237 calls made with our AI-powered, web-based phone in the last 90 days.
Mon
Tue
Busiest
Wed
Thu
Quietest
Fri
The shortest wait on hold
We measured the shortest hold times to be on Wednesday.The longest wait in the queue on average occurs on Monday.
The best time to call
In summation, the best day to call The IRS is Thursday.This is not the day with the shortest wait on hold in the phone system, but we still recommend it for its ideal combination of low call volume and short hold times. Plus we believe that The IRS staffs the call center well on Thursday.
Why call this The IRS number?
Below is a sample of recent calls to The IRS, and their purpose. Are any of these similar to the reason you are trying to call?
Inquiry about refund status: "I was trying to see what was going on with my refund."
- From a call lasting 5m 6s , Apr 15, 2024 2:43 PM
First time abatement request: "I've been paying all my taxes every single year and I've learned now that I need to do it."
- From a call lasting 51m 30s , Apr 4, 2024 9:41 PM
Question about additional balance: "I'm just not clear what the balance is from or how it was calculated."
- From a call lasting 9m 28s , Mar 29, 2024 9:42 PM
Inquiring about missing refund: "I have not received the refund I was supposed to get for 2021."
- From a call lasting 29m 57s , Mar 27, 2024 2:51 PM
Tax inquiry: "Hi. I just wanna know what's really going on with my taxes."
- From a call lasting 24m 49s , Mar 25, 2024 6:00 PM
Seeking extension due to delayed mail: "I got a mail that I was waiting for six months, just received it last night, and now need an extension as it's past the due date."
- From a call lasting 56m 58s , Mar 18, 2024 9:44 PM
Verification of tax return: "I received a letter to verify my tax return but the website is down, can I verify over the phone?"
- From a call lasting 10m 33s , Mar 14, 2024 10:08 PM
Check status of mailed check: "I was calling to check on if they mailed me out a new check because they said that it was under review and that it took up until the thirteenth."
- From a call lasting 11m 39s , Mar 14, 2024 8:58 PM
Tax filing and refund issues: "I have not received a return in three years."
- From a call lasting 8m 3s , Mar 11, 2024 1:12 PM
Inquiring about mail notice: "I got a paper in the mail about something important."
- From a call lasting 13m 18s , Mar 7, 2024 5:38 PM
Most taxpayers call the IRS to receive assistance with filing their taxes, ask questions about specific tax forms, follow up on an audit or make payments toward their recent or past-due filings. Upon calling, customers are greeted with an automated message directing them to the IRS website if they're seeking information about form 1099-K designed for those receiving payments from online marketplaces.
After this recording, an automated system asks callers to press 1 for help with their 1040, or to remain on the line for a menu of options. Callers can choose to receive help with clean vehicle credits, a tax reform law, personal taxes, frequently asked questions or the child tax credit. You can also press 9 to repeat the list of options, which I found to be decently comprehensive.
Wanting to know more about the tax reform law and whether it would affect my filing, I opted for pressing 2 was directed to a customer service rep after a brief hold. She asked for what I needed help with and I responded with wanting to better understand the tax reform law. After a silent pause, she asked me to repeat my question since she didn't understand my request. Once I did, the rep admitted she wasn't the right person to speak with, even though I chose the option associated with tax reform questions.
Instead, she transferred me to another department and I was placed on another brief hold. A second rep came on the line and began with a scripted message informing me to not share any personal information with her and that she was unable to answer specific questions related to individual filings. Once again, I repeated my request to speak with someone about the tax reform law and how it could affect my personal taxes. Unfortunately, she was unfamiliar with anything related to tax reform and said she would put me on hold to find out who could help.
While waiting, however, the call was connected to an automated message directing me to the IRS website to access forms and documents related to my tax needs. There was no other option to speak with another rep nor were there menu choices to be directed elsewhere. I found the call to be quite unsuccessful based on the reps' lack of knowledge related to a topic that is clearly listed in their menu of options. Rather than attempt another call, I visited the IRS' website and did a search for 'tax reform law' to learn more.
Even though there are a variety of IRS departments designated to handle individual tax questions, it seems more effective and efficient to access resources online rather than call customer service, unless your concern can be clearly addressed. It can be daunting to wade through the numerous forms online yet the IRS can also direct you to local entities and services that may be able to offer faster assistance.
Adam has been tirelessly trying to help customers find the best tips and tricks to get through phone trees and writing many guides for prickly customer service problems. He's been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Inside Edition and Bloomberg.
More Ways to Contact The IRS Customer Service
There are of course other ways to contact The IRS customer service besides the phone. Below we list the best ones, by medium.
As a last, sometimes only, resort- The IRS customer service can be accessed through their website. This can entail digging through help articles before finding a form and "being allowed" to submit a problem to their team, and rarely leads to a real-time conversation, which is why GetHuman does not recommend this unless it's the only way.
Conclusion and closing notes
This is The IRS's best phone number, the real-time current wait on hold and tools for skipping right through those phone lines to get right to a The IRS agent. This phone number is The IRS's best phone number because 2,306,316 customers like you used this contact information over the last 18 months and gave us feedback. Common problems addressed by the customer care unit that answers calls to 800-829-1040 include Track My Refund, Setup Payment Arrangement, Missing Refund, Ask For Tax Help, Order a Transcript and other customer service issues. The The IRS call center that you call into has employees from Utah, New York, Tennessee and is open Mon-Fri 7am-7pm ET according to customers. In total, The IRS has 10 phone numbers. It's not always clear what is the best way to talk to The IRS representatives, so we started compiling this information built from suggestions from the customer community. Please keep sharing your experiences so we can continue to improve this free resource.
GetHuman does not provide call center services or customer support operations for The IRS. The two organizations are not related. GetHuman builds free tools and shares information to help customers of companies like The IRS. For large companies that includes tools such as our GetHuman Phone, which allows you to call a company but skip the part where you wait on the line to get a live human rep. We continue to work on these tools to help customers like you (and ourselves!) navigate the messy phone menus, hold times, and confusion with customer service. As long as you keep sharing it with your friends and loved ones, we'll keep doing it.
