After almost two years of very weak phone service, the IRS have taken representatives away from their processing departments, and have assigned them to call centres to answer incoming calls. This means that it has once again become possible to speak to an IRS representative and sometimes have issues resolved over the phone. This is a huge advantage over paper correspondence which still has processing times of a few months.
Although many prefer to hire a professional accountant to represent them before the IRS, here we present you with some pointers and tips to calling the IRS and representing yourself.
Which number do I call?
The IRS have special call lines for US citizens who reside abroad. Most issues should be taken up with the IRS customer service line at +1-267-941-1000. ID verifications, questions about IRS debts and other specific issues are dealt with by other departments. The IRS representative you speak to should be able to direct you to the correct department and provide the specific phone number to call.
Best time to call
If you experience difficulties reaching the IRS, or hold times are very long, it is worth calling as soon as their offices open, at 6:00 AM EST. The call centres are open Monday to Friday, 6:00 AM – 11:00 PM EST. Early afternoon is often a good time for getting through quickly. Mondays tend to be busier, so unless your case is urgent, you may want to call later in the week to avoid long hold queues.
Information needed before you call
You will be asked to provide identifying details such as your name, Social Security number and date of birth. Make sure to have your last tax return filed on hand to answer any specific questions. Be sure which year you are enquiring about and what information you want to obtain. Being courteous and clear in your request always yields the best results.
Issues typically resolved over the phone
Changes of address, check traces and some types of penalty abatements can typically be done over the phone. More complex issues may require documentation mailed to the IRS. The representative you speak to should be able to provide precise instructions.
The representative could not help me, what do I do next?
Newly trained IRS representatives are not always experienced enough to answer all your questions. With the high volume of new employees, you may find that the representative you speak to is unable to assist you. In such a case, it is always worth a second call, you may reach a representative better equipped to assist. If this fails, you can send you query by mail and should receive a response a few months later.
Can someone else call on my behalf?
Generally, only the taxpayer or a qualified representative with power of attorney can receive information from the IRS. However, if you call together with someone and are able to answer identifying questions, you may request that the IRS representative give the information to yourself and the person assisting you on the call. Not all representatives are willing to do this, but some will.
Timeframes for account updates
Any account updates or changes will usually take at least two weeks to show on IRS systems. If you want to call back to ensure changes were made, allow at least two weeks before calling back. If a refund is expected due to that change, it can take 3-4 weeks to be processed. Refund status can be checked on www.irs.gov
If a longer timeframe is needed in your particular case, the representative will inform you of this at the end of the call.
Keeping track
Always keep a record of the date you called the IRS, this will be useful if you then need to call back, or if the first person you spoke to did not completely solve the issue.
If you are mailing a correspondence, keep a copy of the correspondence and the mailing receipt for future reference.
I received a letter, how long do I have to respond
Although official IRS guidelines give you 30 days to respond to a notice, if you received it later than that or simply were unable to call by that date, all is not lost. The 30-day timeframe is rarely a real deadline, and as long as the issue is dealt with within a reasonable timeframe, the IRS should be able to assist.
Cases that will not be addressed over the phone
If you received a letter asking for documentation or more information to be sent to the IRS, calling the IRS will not resolve the issue. In such a case, the letter should be read carefully and instructions followed by sending the necessary information. ID verifications that were attempted over the phone and failed, can no longer be resolved by phone and ID documents will need to be mailed to the correct department. However, even in such cases, if you have not heard back from the IRS after a few months, a phone call may be advisable to find out where your case is holding.
