If You Are Trying to Track Your Payment Against Coronavirus Use This IRS Phone Number
The IRS began reopening its phone lines after the coronavirus pandemic forced it to close call centers. But you can still find it difficult to reach a real person on the phone.
The agency has created an information line specifically for payments in connection with the coronavirus, which many Americans are still waiting for. This is the number 800-919-9835. But you won’t get a live person on that number – you can navigate through the recorded messages menu and be redirected to the IRS website. I called this number today, and the records indicated the number that all representatives were busy with; as soon as I exhausted all the menu items, the system froze on me.
If you want to talk to a real person, it’s best to call this number so people can ask questions about their tax returns. This is 800-829-1040. (Would you like a cheat sheet for the menu you come across when you dial that number? We’ve got one here .)
The only problem with calling a taxpayer number with questions about paying taxes is that you won’t be able to dive right into the question “Where is my money?” Economic Impact Payment (EIP) Questions.
But I know that many of you who are awaiting your payments have questions about your taxes. For example, one commentator recently noted that they were not eligible to receive payments based on their 2018 taxes, but based on their 2019 tax return. But this 2019 refund is still being processed, according to the IRS website, which means the EIP was not mailed.
Sounds familiar? If you have a similar situation and have exhausted the possibilities of searching the Internet , calling your regular support team can help you get off the ground.
Now let’s talk about what happens when you get in line to talk to a live agent: it might be an excruciatingly long wait. On May 18, the IRS opened its phone lines with 3,500 representatives ready to start taking calls from alarmed taxpayers.
But things didn’t go according to plan. The Washington Post reported that the IRS began attempts to return workers to their offices in April. But almost immediately, three of the IRS 10 service centers were partially closed for a week for deep cleaning after employees showed symptoms of coronavirus.
The agency’s post offices, call centers and tax centers are not designed to work remotely, the Washington Post notes, and more than half of IRS employees are over 50, making them more vulnerable to the pandemic.
Therefore, until it is safe enough for the IRS call centers to be fully operational again, you can wait until a real live person answers your questions.