How to reach a live agent at the irs

Telephone assistors can help with many topics but see the list of topics our assistors can’t address.

Verify your identity when you call

Our representatives must verify your identity before discussing your personal information.

Have the following ready when you call:

Individuals

• Social Security numbers (SSN) and birth dates
• Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) for taxpayers without a Social Security number
• Filing status – single, head of household, married filing joint, or married filing separate
• Prior-year tax return
• Tax return you’re calling about
• Any correspondence we sent to you

Third parties calling for someone else

• Verbal or written authorization to discuss the account
• Taxpayer’s name, SSN or ITIN
• Tax return you're calling about
• Valid Form 8821, Tax Information Authorization or Form 2848, Power of Attorney and Declaration of Representative
• Preparer tax identification number or personal identification number

Third parties calling for a deceased taxpayer

• Death certificate
• Court approval letter or our IRS Form 56, Notice Concerning Fiduciary Relationship (for estate executors)

IRS phone number - Call Wait Times

Filing Season
(January - April)

• Telephone service wait times can average 13 minutes. Some telephone service lines may have longer wait times.
• Telephone service wait times are higher on Monday and Tuesday, during Presidents Day weekend and around the April tax filing deadline.

Post-Filing Season
(May - December)

• Telephone service wait times can average 19 minutes. Some telephone service lines may have longer wait times.
• Telephone service wait times are generally higher on Monday and Tuesday.

Our help lines are open Monday through Friday. Residents of Alaska and Hawaii should follow Pacific time. Phone lines in Puerto Rico are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time.

Individuals
800-829-1040
7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time

Businesses
800-829-4933
7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time

Non-profit taxes
877-829-5500
8 a.m. to 5 p.m. local time

Estate and gift taxes (Form 706/709)
866-699-4083
8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Eastern time

Excise taxes
866-699-4096
​​​​​8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern time

Overseas callers
Use our International Services page. 

Callers who are hearing impaired
TTY/TDD 800-829-4059

Interpretation Services
If you can't find the answers to your tax questions on IRS.gov, we can offer you help in more than 350 languages with the support of professional interpreters. For assistance in Spanish, call 800-829-1040. For all other languages, call 833-553-9895. You will reach an IRS assistor who can:

• Provide an interpreter over the phone, or
• Schedule an appointment for you at one of our local Taxpayer Assistance Centers so you can get help face-to-face. Please note, our local offices provide assistance only on specific topics.

Requesting a face-to-face meeting for help
You can make an appointment at an IRS local office to get help. Appointment times vary by tax issues and office locations. 

To help protect taxpayers and employees, the COVID-19 Screening Tool is available for people to self-screen for symptoms. This tool is for optional use by IRS employees, taxpayers, tax professionals and others prior to entering an IRS facility. The IRS is committed to protecting against further spread of COVID-19, and we encourage people to use this self-screening tool prior to visiting IRS facilities.

You can find the office closest to you with our Taxpayer Assistance Locator tool. Once you find your local office, see what services are available. Then, call 844-545-5640 to schedule an appointment.

IRS offices are closed on federal holidays.

Free Tax Return Help Available
Certain taxpayers may qualify to get free tax return preparation and electronic filing help at a location near where they live. For more information, see Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and Tax Counseling for the Elderly.

Taxpayer Advocate Service
If you’re having tax problems because of financial difficulties or immediate threat of adverse action and you haven’t been able to resolve them with the IRS, the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) may be able to help you.

IRS customer service and IRS phone number issues

Why can’t you reach a real person when you call the IRS? Each year, it is estimated that the IRS customer service receives over 95 million telephone calls on its toll-free lines. Although answers to taxpayers’ questions can be found on the Internal Revenue Service website (www.irs.gov), they are unwilling or unable to use these resources. They believe if they know the IRS number to call and know how to talk to someone at the IRS will provide them with more accurate answers than looking online. It’s important to note that the IRS customer service number has representatives available Monday through Friday from 7 am to 7 pm local time unless otherwise noted.

In the fiscal year 2018, only four out of ten taxpayers trying to reach an IRS live person succeeded. To make the most out of your time when you need to call the IRS phone number, please follow our guided instructions.

Best time to call the IRS – Customer service hours

The main IRS phone number to talk to a live person is 1-800-829-1040, and the IRS customer service hours are from 7 am to 7 pm local time Monday through Friday. This is also the IRS phone number for refund information.

The best time to call IRS customer service is early in the morning.

Prepare before you call

Before you call the Internal Revenue Service, make sure you have all the required information.

• The IRS phone number related to your need.
• Social Security numbers and date of birth for any dependents you claimed on your tax return.
• Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) letter if you don’t have a Social Security Number (SSN)
• Filing status – Single, Head of Household, Married Filing Joint or Married Filing Separate
• Prior-year tax return. The IRS agent may need to verify your identity before answering certain questions
• A copy of the tax return you’re calling about
• Any letters or notices you received

If you plan to call about your tax refund, the IRS indicates that its phone and walk-in representatives can only research the status of your refund 21 days after you filed electronically; 6 weeks after you mailed your paper return; or you can call if  Where’s My Refund directs you to contact the office”

How do I get a real person on the phone at IRS?

Trying to get IRS customer service and speak to a live person can be a frustrating process. Fortunately, we put together a simple 10 steps process that shows you how to talk to someone at the IRS in approximately five minutes or less.

After you dial the 1-800-829-1040 or 1-800-829-0922 number, follow these steps:

Step 1 – The first question the automated system will ask you is to choose your language – Press 1 for English or 2 for Spanish.

Step 2 – Once you’ve set your language, do NOT choose Option 1 (regarding refund info).

Step 3 – Choose option 2 for “Personal Income Tax” instead.

Step 4 – Press 1 for “form, tax history, or payment”.

Step 5 – Press 3 “for all other questions.”

Step 6 – Press 2 “for all other questions.”

Step 7 – When the system asks you to enter your SSN or EIN to access your account information, do NOT enter anything.

Step 8 – After it asks twice, you will be prompted with another menu.

Step 9 – Press 2 for personal or individual tax questions.

Step 10 – Finally, press 4 for all other inquiries. The system should then transfer you to an IRS live person.

For many, trying to reach a live person at IRS customer service can be a frustrating process. Fortunately, the steps above, the right IRS phone number, and some planning can get you to talk to someone at the IRS very quickly.

How to contact the IRS - IRS Customer Service Number

How to get through to IRS customer service? Before you try to call the IRS, identify what tou need the IRS help for to make the process easy. In addition to the main IRS phone number 800-829-1040, there are other numbers you can call for IRS help or speak to IRS customer service (IRS customer service number live person). Here’s a list of other IRS phone numbers and IRS customer service hours to try so you can reach an IRS live person faster.

• For tax assistance for the deaf and hard of hearing, call 1-800-829-4059

• IRS contact number for individuals: 1 (800) 829-1040
  • Monday – Friday: 7 am – 7 pm Local time

• IRS phone number for businesses: 1 (800) 829-4333
  • Monday – Friday: 7 am – 7 pm Local time

• IRS contact number for victims of identity theft: 1 (800) 908-4490
  • Monday – Friday: 7 am – 7 pm Local time

• Taxpayer Advocate Service: 1 (877) 777-4778
  • Monday – Friday: 7 am – 7 pm Local time

• Exempt Organizations, Retirement Plan Administrators, and Government Entities: 1 (877) 829-5500
  • Monday – Friday: 8 am – 5 pm Local time

• IRS number for International Services: 1 (267) 941-1000
  • Monday – Friday: 6 am – 11 pm Eastern time

Get help at a local IRS office

If you still can’t reach a live person by trying the federal IRS phone number (IRS customer service number live person) to answer your tax questions, it’s time to think about other alternatives. One of the other alternatives is to use the IRS office near me tool to find the Internal Revenue Service address next to your home. The Taxpayer Assistance Center at local offices operates by appointment only, make yours by calling the IRS phone number for that office. Appointment times vary by tax issues and office locations.

Most of the time, when you receive a notice letter and need to call to talk to someone at the IRS, all the information you need is located in the top right-hand corner of the notice. It is of the utmost importance to read it carefully as it contains the IRS customer service number of the agent in charge of your case. Cannot find that information, don’t hesitate to contact H&S Accounting & Tax Services for assistance – we are known to be IRS problem solvers. The office has also an IRS taxpayer assistance center called the Taxpayer Advocate Service. Find a Local Taxpayer Advocate in your area, they can also help with IRS refunds.

Our small accounting firm specializes in the accounting and tax needs of individuals, professionals and small businesses. Our expert accountants and CPAs primarily serve clients throughout South Florida, you can request a one-on-one consultation in person if you are located near Aventura, Cooper City, Dania Beach, Davie, Fort Lauderdale, Hallandale Beach, Hollywood, Lauderhill, Lauderdale Lakes, Margate, Miami Gardens, Miami Lakes, Miramar, North Lauderdale, North Miami, Oakland Park, Opa-Locka, Pembroke Pines, Pembroke Park, Plantation, Sunrise, Tamarac, and Weston. We also offer accounting and tax services nationwide remotely.

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