How to Talk to a Real Person at the IRS Without Waiting Forever in Line
Whether you’re filling a prescription, rebooking a flight, or asking a tax question, it seems like the first line of defense between you and any real human assistant is an endless string of automated prompts. But not all questions can be answered using a computer, especially when it comes to taxes.
The IRS expects more than 140 million individual 2024 tax returns will be filed this season, the April 15, 2025 deadline. That’s a lot of taxpayers who are delayed. Over the past few years, the IRS has certainly improved its telephone service and also expanded its online tools. However, anyone who has tried to call the IRS knows that it can seem impossible to get a real person to answer your call.
Of course, the IRS recommends checking your online resources before calling. It has a list of common problems that may answer your question about your tax return, payments, or identity theft issues. But sometimes you need to talk to a real person . To do this, I used what I like to call the “1-2-3” hack to contact a real agent in 60 seconds. This is how you can reach someone so quickly.
How long will you have to wait to talk to someone at the IRS?
Most callers either get frustrated by the long wait or get fed up with a complicated phone tree that only leads from one automated message to another, so they just hang up. If you can stick it out, the IRS says wait times average 12 minutes this year. That’s a significant improvement over the 27-minute average over the past few years, but it’s still a pain in the ass. In addition, some phone lines may have longer wait times. The IRS also reports that the longest waits typically occur on Mondays and Tuesdays.
How to Contact a Real Person at the IRS: Use the 1-2-3 Hack
The IRS telephone number is 1-800-829-1040 , available from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time, Monday through Friday. To talk to someone at the IRS, you need to call, navigate through a menu, and eventually find an agent if one is available. Here’s how I managed to get in touch with an agent ASAP.
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The first question the automated system will ask you is the choice of language. Press 1 to switch to English.
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Once you’ve set your language, press 2 to select “For answers about your income taxes…” instead.
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Then press 3 as soon as you hear “for all other matters.”
I didn’t actually listen to any of the prompts, enter my SSN or EIN, or waste any time at all. Instead, as soon as I heard the automated voice trigger the next prompt, I pressed the next number. I pressed 1-2-3 and within a minute I was talking to a real person.
At this point, the real person you have contacted is the operator who will route your call to the correct department. My operator estimated that it would take me about five minutes to get through to a real human agent in the right department, and they were right. I also didn’t have to waste my precious time listening to all those damn automatic options.
Make sure you are prepared before calling the IRS with questions.
Before you call, make sure you gather everything you might need when speaking with an agent. The IRS recommends having the following items on hand:
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Social Security Numbers (SSN) and Dates of Birth
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Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) for taxpayers without a Social Security Number
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Filing status (single, head of household, married, filing jointly, or married filing separately)
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Tax return for the previous year
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The tax return you are calling about
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Any correspondence from the IRS
What to do if you can’t contact anyone at the IRS
If you live near your local IRS office , you can skip the main phone line and call them directly. They probably won’t be able to answer your questions over the phone, but your Taxpayer Assistance Center (see state guide here ) can set up an appointment.
If you’re still having trouble getting help from a real, live person, try contacting Taxpayer Advocacy Services . This is an independent office of the IRS that exists to help people solve their current tax problems.