Use Where's My Refund, call us at 800-829-1954 and use the automated system, or speak with a representative by calling 800-829-1040 (see telephone assistance for hours of operation).
If you never received your tax refund
To replace a lost or stolen tax refund check, you can request a refund trace in the IRS Where's My Refund tool. You will need to enter your Social Security number, filing status, and the exact whole dollar amount of your refund.
To talk to the IRS in person, schedule an appointment at a local Taxpayer Assistance Center (TAC) via the IRS website or by calling the number listed for your location, as walk-ins are generally not accepted; bring your photo ID, Social Security Number, and relevant tax documents for your scheduled visit, which handles issues like account inquiries, payment plans, and basic tax law questions.
For questions about a business tax return, call 1-800-829-4933, 7 AM - 7 PM Monday through Friday local time. Find your local IRS office.
To talk to a person at the IRS, call the main line 1-800-829-1040 for individuals, or 1-800-829-4933 for businesses, keeping in mind that wait times can be long and it's best to call early on weekdays (Tuesday-Thursday). Specific issues have dedicated lines, like 877-777-4778 for the Taxpayer Advocate Service (financial hardship) or 800-908-4490 for identity theft, with operating hours generally Monday-Friday during business hours.
How to reach an actual person at the IRS: Use the 1-2-3 hack. The IRS telephone number is 1-800-829-1040, and is available from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time, Monday through Friday. To speak with someone at the IRS, you have to call, navigate through a menu, and eventually get routed to find an agent if one is available.
The IRS is understaffed and unprepared to take on the daily volume of phone calls they receive. Unfortunately, this has caused callers to struggle with navigating the menu maze and being put on hold for hours only to have the line drop.
IRS phone number - Call wait times
Wait times can average 3 minutes. Some phone lines may have longer wait times. Wait times are longer on Mondays and Tuesdays, during Presidents Day weekend and around the April tax filing deadline.
The IRS $600 rule refers to a change in reporting requirements for third-party payment apps (like Venmo, PayPal) for taxable income from goods and services, where platforms must send a Form 1099-K if you receive over $600 in a year, intended to capture gig economy/side hustle income, though delays and phased implementation have adjusted the timeline, with current rules for 2024 using a higher threshold ($5,000) before fully phasing to $600 for future years, but remember all taxable income, regardless of form, must always be reported.
Calling the IRS: Call the IRS Refund Hotline at 800-829-1954 . If the IRS has processed your return, the system will tell you the date your refund will be sent. The IRS suggests you should call about your: E-filed return: 3 weeks after you filed it.
There's no strict maximum limit for how long the IRS can hold a refund, but they must pay interest after 45 days; while most e-filed returns take 21 days, returns needing extra review for errors, fraud, or certain credits (like EITC/ACTC) can take months (45-180+ days), and amended returns can take 8-16 weeks, with unfiled returns having an indefinite delay until filed.
You generally shouldn't worry if your refund is "still being processed," as it means the IRS is working on it, but it might take longer than the typical 21 days due to common issues like errors, incomplete information, or claiming credits like the EITC/ACTC. Worry only becomes necessary if you receive an IRS letter requesting more information or if the "Where's My Refund?" tool shows a specific problem like fraud, but typically, it just means a longer wait, not no refund at all.
Answer: Contact an IRS customer service representative to correct any agency errors by calling 800-829-1040 (see telephone assistance for hours of operation).
Contact the IRS if: It's been 21 days or more since you e-filed. The Where's My Refund?
The IRS will never initiate contact demanding immediate payment via gift cards, prepaid debit, or wire transfers; threaten immediate arrest or deportation; or contact you first by email, text, or social media; these tactics, especially involving urgent demands for specific payment types or threats, are key signs of a tax scam, as the IRS always mails a bill first and allows time to appeal.
Call the IRS customer support number at 1-800-829-0922 -or- 800-829-1040. Choose your language (1 for English) Dial 2 – “For answers about your personal income tax…” Dial 1 – “For questions about a form you have already submitted…”
Per the California Franchise Tax Board (FTB) website, the Installment Agreement Request may be filed in one of 3 ways: Online via the Installment Agreement - Apply Online page on the FTB website. Via phone using the Interactive Voice Response system at (800) 689-4776.
update your address by doing one of the following: Go to www.irs.gov, and click on “where's my refund?” You'll need your Social > Security number, filing status, and the amount of your refund to complete your change of address online. Call us at 1-800-829-8374. >
You may call us toll-free at 800-829-1040, M - F, 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. Generally, if the financial institution recovers the funds and returns them to the IRS, the IRS will send you a refund by other means to your last known address on file with the IRS.
Use Where's My Refund, call us at 800-829-1954 and use the automated system, or speak with a representative by calling 800-829-1040 (see telephone assistance for hours of operation).