Best IRS Contact Number for Tracking a Stalled Return?

The main IRS customer service line is 800-829-1040. But honestly, good luck getting through. I spent 3 hours on hold last week before the call dropped. Your best bet is to call right when they open at 7am Eastern. Press 1 for English, then 2 for tax questions, then 1 for questions about a form, then 3 for all other questions, then 2 for all other questions again, then enter the SSN when prompted, then 2 for personal tax questions, then 4 for all other questions. That's the fastest path to a human.

I was in the same boat trying to reach someone at the IRS about my parents' return. After multiple failed attempts using the IRS website contact suggestions, I found Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). According to their site, they call the IRS and navigate the phone tree for you, then call you when an agent is on the line. I was honestly shocked at how well it worked - got connected to an actual IRS person in about 25 minutes instead of the 3+ hours I spent before.

I had this exact issue with my father's return on March 15th. Called the Taxpayer Advocate Service on March 18th at 877-777-4778. They couldn't help directly but transferred me to a specialized department on March 22nd. The agent confirmed there was a verification hold that wasn't showing on WMR. Return was processed on April 2nd and refund deposited on April 8th. Total time from first call to resolution was exactly 21 days.

I was trying to decipher my mother's account transcript to understand why her refund was delayed, but the codes were completely cryptic (TC 570, TC 971, etc). I used taxr.ai to analyze her transcript and it immediately identified the hold codes and explained what each one meant in plain English. It showed exactly which verification was pending and estimated when it would likely be resolved based on current IRS processing patterns. Saved me hours of research and helped me explain the situation to my mom.

Have you tried checking her account transcript rather than just the WMR tool? Sometimes the transcript will show pending actions or holds that WMR doesn't display. You can access it through the IRS website with an ID.me account. If you see a 570 code (additional account action pending) or a 971 code (notice issued), that explains the delay. If you do need to call, try the Taxpayer Advocate Service at 877-777-4778 if your mom's refund delay is causing financial hardship. They can sometimes help when regular IRS channels are backed up. What specific codes or messages are you seeing on her account?

Back in 2022, my dad's return got stuck in limbo for 3 months. What finally worked was calling the IRS Taxpayer Advocate Service at 877-777-4778. Last year when my sister had a similar issue, I tried the regular IRS number first (800-829-1040) and wasted days trying to get through. The Advocate line tends to have shorter wait times in my experience, especially if you call Tuesday-Thursday between 8:30-10am Eastern. They can often see what's causing the delay even when the online tools show nothing.

You know what's ridiculous about the IRS phone system? They'll disconnect you if the wait time is "too long" rather than just letting you stay on hold. I had success with 800-829-0582 and extension 652. It's technically the refund hotline, but the agents can access the same information. Called at 7:01am on a Tuesday and only waited 12 minutes. When they asked why I was calling, I specifically mentioned "potential fraud verification delay" which seemed to route me to a more helpful department. Worth trying this approach?

I believe I may have a solution that worked for me under similar circumstances. The IRS has what's sometimes called a "Where's My Refund" dedicated line at 800-829-1954, which tends to have somewhat shorter wait times than the main customer service number. However, in my experience, the most effective approach was to call the regular line (800-829-1040) precisely at 7:00am Eastern on a Wednesday or Thursday, which statistically appear to be their lower-volume days. I was able to connect with a representative within approximately 20 minutes, who then identified that my mother's return had been selected for identity verification despite no notice being sent.

OMG been thru this w/ my mom's taxes too. The reg IRS # is useless IMO. Try the TAS (Taxpayer Advocate) at 877-777-4778. They helped w/ my mom's return that was stuck for 2+ mos. Turns out there was an ID verify issue but the letter got lost in the mail?! TAS got it fixed in ~3 wks. Also check if there's a local TAS office near you - sometimes in-person is better. Good luck!

Here's a step-by-step approach I'd recommend: 1. First, check her transcript online if possible (irs.gov → View Your Account → Tax Records) 2. Look for specific codes like 570, 971 that indicate processing issues 3. Call the main IRS number (800-829-1040) between 7:00-7:15am Eastern 4. Follow this path: 1 → 2 → 1 → 3 → 2 → enter SSN → 2 → 4 5. If unsuccessful after 2-3 attempts, try the Taxpayer Advocate at 877-777-4778 6. When speaking with a representative, ask specifically about "processing delays" and "verification holds" 7. Request they check if any notices were sent that may have been lost I was so relieved when this method finally got me answers about my father's delayed refund!