The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the revenue service of the United States federal government responsible for collecting taxes and administering the Internal Revenue Code, the main body of federal statutory tax law.It is part of the Department of the Treasury and led by the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, who is appointed to a five-year term by the President of the United States.
- Internal Revenue Service Fax Number
- How To Call The Internal Revenue Service
- Internal Revenue Service Forms
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- Call The Irs Internal Revenue Service
- The Internal Revenue Service is reminding U.S. Citizens, resident aliens and any domestic legal entity that the deadline to file their annual Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR.
- The IRS telephone number is 1-800-829-1040. The first question the automated system will ask you is to choose your language. Once you’ve set your language, do NOT choose Option 1 (regarding refund info). Choose option 2 for “Personal Income Tax” instead.
- This filing season through February 26, the IRS has received approximately 9.5 million taxpayer calls, with 40 percent, or 3.8 million, handled by our Customer Service Representatives (CSRs). The rest were calls made to lines providing automated messages containing helpful tax information.
If you’ve ever had questions or concerns regarding your tax returns or tax payments, you’ve likely experienced the pain of trying to get an IRS representative on the line. Sometimes this annoyance is avoidable. For general tax questions, the IRS provides answers via online FAQs and other resources. There are also several methods of contacting the IRS directly, which we’ll discuss in more detail below.
However, sometimes you don’t need to speak with an IRS agent at all. In many cases, the smartest option is to contact a skilled and experienced tax attorney to help you navigate the complicated world of tax planning liability resolution.
In this article, we’ll discuss various methods for contacting the IRS, tips for improving your IRS experience, and what to do if the IRS can’t (or won’t) help you.
Methods for Contacting the IRS, Ranked
The IRS recommends taxpayers try to find answers to common tax questions in the FAQ section of their website and with other online tax tools and resources. But if your problem requires you to speak directly with an IRS agent, there are four different ways to do so, which we’ve ranked from least to most efficient.
4. Email the IRS
Although you may find email addresses for the IRS, these are typically not used for contacting them about tax issues. If you receive an unsolicited email from the IRS, you should report it to [email protected], as this is a common method used in scams and tax fraud schemes.
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RELATED ARTICLE: Protect Yourself From Tax Identity Theft in 2019 With These Helpful Tips
3. Send Mail to the IRS
If you don’t want to wait around on the phone (and if your tax issue doesn’t require an urgent response), sending a letter to the IRS in the mail might be a solution. The downside to this method of communication is that a response can take anywhere from 30-45 days — bringing a whole new meaning to the term “snail” mail.
2. Visit Your Local Taxpayer Assistance Center
Another option is to visit a Taxpayer Assistance Center in person. Wait times used to approach the level of the DMV, but all centers now allow you to schedule an appointment in advance. Click here to locate a Taxpayer Assistance Center near you.
1. Call the IRS Directly
The most common way to contact the IRS is by phone. Although the hold times can be long and frustrating, calling is still your best option for direct contact with the IRS if you don’t have time to visit in-person or if you aren’t located near a Taxpayer Assistance Center.
Check out the IRS Let Us Help You page for more information about solving your problem online and finding your local Taxpayer Assistance Center and IRS phone numbers.
Calling the IRS: Tips for Improving Your Call Experience
Understand Which Topics You Can Call About
Don’t waste your time by calling the IRS with general questions. As previously mentioned, the IRS wants you to use their website as a resource for most inquiries and won’t handle basic tax questions by phone. You should only be calling the IRS about questions or concerns regarding your specific taxes and payments, including:
- Missing or incorrect W2 forms
- Requests for extensions
- Information regarding your tax payoff amount
- Questions about a notice the IRS sent you
- Updates on the status of previous IRS actions
RELATED ARTICLE:Handling a Notice From the IRS the Right Way
Call Earlier in the Day and Later in the Week
The IRS opens at 7 am, and if you want to minimize your hold time as much as possible, the earlier you call, the better. The opposite is true for the best time of the week to call, with Mondays having higher than average call volume regardless of the time of day.
Be Prompt: Call as Soon as Possible
If you have a question or concern about your taxes, you need to contact the IRS (or your friendly neighborhood tax attorneys) as soon as possible. Clearing up any confusion or mistakes can take a while, so the sooner you make the call, the sooner your problem can be resolved. Waiting until the last minute might be too late, especially if you’re calling about requesting an extension or other lengthy, complicated matter.
Be Prepared Before You Call
You can help expedite the process and save everyone involved a lot of hassle by writing your questions down ahead of time and having all your information in front of you when you call. You may need:
- Your SSN or ITIN
- Your most recent tax return — including your filing status and all names, DOBs, and SSNs on the return
- Any letters or notifications the IRS sent you
Take Notes on the Call
Once you’ve got the IRS on the line, you might have a substantial amount of information thrown at you very quickly. Make sure you take notes on the answers the representative provides, in addition to their name and badge number in case you need to contact them again.
The IRS Can’t or Won’t Help? Call S.H. Block Tax Services Today!
If you’ve called the IRS and a representative told you there was nothing they could do for you or provided unhelpful advice, the staff at S.H. Block Tax Services are here to help. Our tax attorneys have experience communicating with the IRS to resolve tax issues and working with our clients to discover the best solution for all their tax problems.
Call S.H Block Tax Services today at (410) 793-1231 or complete this brief online form for your free, no-obligation tax consultation.
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This article was fact-checked by our editors and Jennifer Samuel, senior product specialist for Credit Karma Tax®.
It’s probably safe to say that not many Americans would be happy to hear from the IRS.
Still, the Internal Revenue Service has a job to do, and sometimes that involves communicating directly with taxpayers. But scammers, fraudsters and con artists may also try to contact you, and may do so posing as the IRS.
That’s why it’s important to understand how the IRS might contact you — and how they wouldn’t. Once you know how to communicate with the IRS, you’ll also be better equipped to deal with any tax issues that may arise.
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How does the IRS contact you?
The Internal Revenue Service has a straightforward contact process. There are typically three ways the IRS will contact you: a mailed letter, a phone call or a personal visit.
IRS notices
The IRS usually (though not always) contacts taxpayers by first sending a letter — called a notice — through the U.S. Postal Service.
Here are a few of the many reasons you might get a notice from the IRS.
- You have an outstanding tax balance.
- Your refund won’t be as big as you expected.
- The agency has a question about a tax return you filed.
- It needs additional information in order to process your tax return.
- It’s trying to verify your identity.
- It’s alerting you to changes or corrections on your tax return.
- It’s letting you know there’s a delay in processing your return.
The initial notice will explain why the IRS is contacting you and what your next steps are. Usually the letter will include an identifying number either at the top or bottom right corner, as well as a contact number and address in case you’d like to follow up with the IRS.
How can you lower your risk of tax identity theft?Phone calls
If the IRS needs to get ahold of you after first contacting you by mail, an agent may call you to discuss a scheduled audit or confirm an appointment time.
For example, if you have an overdue tax bill and haven’t paid it or responded to the IRS notice, you may receive a phone call. An agent could also call to arrange an in-person visit if you’re being audited — but remember, you would have received a written notification of the audit first.
You may even get a phone call from a private debt collector seeking to collect an outstanding tax bill that’s been deemed “inactive” — but only after you’ve already received written notice of the bill. And those debt collectors must respect your rights and follow the rules of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act when trying to collect your tax debt.
IRS visits
It may sound like the stuff of nightmares, but it is possible an IRS agent could make an unannounced visit to your home or place of business.
This can happen if you have delinquent taxes or a delinquent tax return, or if your business is falling behind on payroll taxes. IRS revenue agents may also visit your home or your tax professional’s office as part of an audit — but only after mailing you a notice of the appointment or arranging an appointment with you.
An important thing to know: A visiting IRS agent may ask you to pay any tax bill you owe, but they will always ask for your payment to be made to the U.S. Treasury. The bottom line is that anyone who says they’re with the IRS and asks you to make your payment to anyone other than the U.S. Treasury could be a con artist trying to scam you out of your money.
And remember, any legit scenario is typically preceded by a letter notifying you of the situation.
So even though you might not be expecting the IRS agent who shows up on your doorstep, and they might not tell you they’re coming, you would at least be aware the IRS was trying to communicate with you regarding a tax issue.
What are my rights when dealing with the IRS?
Internal Revenue Service Fax Number
In 2014, the IRS adopted a Taxpayer Bill of Rights, listing 10 fundamental rights every taxpayer has when dealing with the IRS. The code addresses issues like your right to be informed, to receive quality service, to pay no more than the correct amount of tax you owe, and to challenge the IRS if you disagree with its position.
If the IRS is conducting a criminal investigation, law enforcement agents may go to a taxpayer’s home or place of business unannounced. In those cases, the agent will be investigating the case and won’t demand payment of a tax debt.
Check credentials
Whether you receive a letter, phone call or visit from an IRS agent, always ask for credentials.
Types of credentials to check include the following:
- A pocket commission detailing the authority of the agent and their responsibilities (every IRS representative must have this)
- A personal identity verification credential (or PIV), a government-wide standard used to identify all federal employees and contractors
- A badge and law enforcement credentials if they are an investigator for the IRS Criminal Investigations team
How To Call The Internal Revenue Service
Ways the IRS won’t contact you
Technology has certainly changed the way we communicate. In many areas of life, text messages have replaced phone calls, emails have replaced mailed letters and social media has made everything and everyone very accessible.
Internal Revenue Service Forms
But one way the IRS will never contact you is via social media. The agency will never send a message to your direct messages. The IRS will not send text messages to your cellphone, demanding payment. And it’s not likely that the IRS will contact you via email.
Phishing emails and IRS scams are big concerns for the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. If you receive a demand for payment of taxes in any way other than through an official letter, question the individual making contact and independently research their claims – such as by calling and confirming with the IRS – before you take any action.
Remember, the IRS will never …
- Call you to demand payment without first mailing you a bill
- Demand payment without giving you the chance to question or appeal how much they say you owe
- Require you to use a specific form of payment, such as gift cards or a prepaid debit card
- Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone
- Threaten to have you arrested for not paying
What to do when the real IRS contacts you
Call The Irs Internal Revenue Service Telephone Number
If you receive a notice from the IRS, the first thing you should do is read the notice carefully. You need to understand what the agency is asking or requiring you to do.
If you have questions, call the phone number located at the top corner of the notice. When you call the IRS, make sure you have a copy of your tax return(s) in question and the notice readily available.
If you receive a phone call from the IRS and you’re not sure it’s valid, you can call the IRS customer service line at 1-800-829-1040 to verify it. Never blindly give out any information to anyone over the phone without verifying that you’re indeed speaking with a credentialed agent of the Internal Revenue Service. Take down their contact information and tell them you’ll call them back after you have researched the issue.
Bottom line
The IRS contacts millions of taxpayers each year, and you might end up being one of them. But don’t get intimidated if you receive a notice.
Always remember to ask why the agency is contacting you. Many matters are easy to handle on your own just by communicating with the IRS. The sooner you acknowledge the issue, the faster you can resolve the matter and move on.
Call The Irs Internal Revenue Service 800
Jennifer Samuel, senior tax product specialist for Credit Karma Tax®, has more than a decade of experience in the tax preparation industry, including work as a tax analyst and tax preparation professional. She holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Saint Leo University. You can find her on LinkedIn.