The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is our country’s tax collection agency. It is responsible for implementing the Internal Revenue Code enacted by Congress and overlooking matters relating to the tax system. The agency changes and adapts its operations and services to fulfill the expectations of taxpayers. Since filing taxes can be complicated, the IRS provides many support services to help people who cannot hire financial professionals to file their taxes.

What kind of services does the IRS offer?
This agency offers many services to assist taxpayers, tax-exempt organizations, and government organizations in completing their tax filing process. The main activities of the IRS include tax collection, tax audits, tax return processing, and other taxpayer service and enforcement activities. In addition, it performs criminal investigations on tax fraud, monitors tax-exempt organizations, monitors qualified retirement plans, and provides education and other accounting services to taxpayers.

How to get help with IRS-related matters?
If confused, taxpayers can use different services by the IRS to get their queries resolved. The first place to look for assistance is the IRS website. It has detailed instructions on what one can do if they face difficulty while filing their taxes. As per estimates, the number of people who visited the IRS website was 2 billion in 2021. Besides a functional website, the agency has several trained volunteers and assistance centers throughout the country. These assistance centers are helpful for those who may not be computer literate or need assistance navigating the forms.

Telephone assistance from the IRS
Those who have queries and cannot find answers on the IRS official website may use the telephone assistance option. The IRS has designated telephone assistors who answer queries and solve most tax-related issues. Before calling, one should keep specific information ready, such as their Social Security Number (SSN), Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) for those without an SSN, birth date, previous year’s tax return, the tax return one has doubts about, and any previous correspondence regarding the issue on hand.

Important IRS phone numbers
While there are many phone numbers, we have listed a few that may come in handy. These include:

800-829-1040 – Primary customer service number that answers questions on federal tax

800-829-3676 – For assistance with tax forms for the current or previous year and to order free publications from IRS on various tax topics

800-829-4477 – For questions about tax refund status

800-829-1954 – For assistance with misplaced or lost refund checks from the IRS

800-829-1954 – To learn how to offset the liabilities towards IRS

877-777-4778 – To reach the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS), an independent organization within the IRS that helps taxpayers resolve any problem with tax filing, returns, or form submission

If one wants to make an IRS payment by credit card, they can contact any of these IRS payment phone numbers for help: 888-972-9829, 888-PAY-1040 (888-729-1040), 855-9-PAY-TAX (855-972-9829), 888-872-9829, or 866-964-2552

Average wait time
Since these are toll-free numbers and mostly operate 24×7, there may be a wait time for assistance. One may have to wait in a queue before an assistor can answer the query. It takes about 13 minutes during the filing season and can be more on Mondays and Fridays. The wait times can be higher after the filing season. Therefore, one must plan their schedule accordingly to avoid the last-minute hassle.