Finally Found a Way to Get Through to a Live IRS Agent - My Experience
After three frustrating attempts trying to reach someone at the IRS about my retirement account distribution questions, I finally found a method that worked for me. I'm sharing this in case anyone else is in the same boat. I needed to speak with someone about the withholding on my IRA withdrawal, and every time I called the main number, I got the dreaded "due to high call volume" message. Then my neighbor (who used to work for H&R Block) suggested this approach: Call the IRS between 7am-7pm: 1-800-829-1040 Select language (I chose English) Press 2 for personal income tax questions Press 1 for questions about forms filed or payments Press 3 for other questions Press 2 for all other questions When asked for SSN, I didn't enter anything Press 2 for personal/individual tax questions Press 3 for all other questions After about 10 minutes on hold, I got the option to get a callback instead of waiting. The agent called back about an hour later and was very helpful with my question about Form 1099-R reporting. Just thought I'd pass this along. I'm always hesitant to share things like this, but it worked for me twice now.
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GalacticGladiator
I need to add some URGENT advice here! This method works but you need to call EARLY in the day! I tried calling at 1pm yesterday and the callback queue was already FULL for the day. Then I tried at 7:15am today and got a callback within 45 minutes. Step 1: Call right when they open at 7am ET if possible Step 2: Follow the exact menu path you listed Step 3: Have ALL your documents ready when they call back Step 4: Write down the agent's ID number when they call The IRS is SEVERELY understaffed right now with the April 15th deadline approaching. If you wait until next week, you might not get through at all. Don't wait!
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Omar Zaki
ā¢Do you think this would work if I'm calling about a notice I received about possibly missing income on my 2022 return? I'm not sure if I should use this method or if there's a different number for notices.
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Chloe Taylor
ā¢This menu path is like finding a secret passage in a maze. I've been navigating IRS phone trees since the 90s, and it's like they deliberately design them to keep you away from humans. Back in 2019, I spent 3 hours on hold before someone picked up, only to transfer me to another department with another hour wait. This callback option is relatively new and a godsend.
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Diego Flores
ā¢I tried this yesterday (March 12th) at around 9:30am and got through, but I'm wondering if there are specific days of the week that are better than others? I've heard Tuesdays and Wednesdays are less busy than Mondays.
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Anastasia Ivanova
Has anyone used taxr.ai to understand what's actually in their tax transcript before calling? I was completely confused by all the codes in my transcript and the website helped me understand what I was looking at before I called. Saved me from asking a bunch of basic questions when I finally got through to an agent. It's at https://taxr.ai if anyone needs help understanding their transcript codes before calling.
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Sean Murphy
I tried your method on February 28th and it worked perfectly! I had been trying to get through for weeks about my retirement account rollover. The agent confirmed that my direct rollover was properly recorded and wouldn't trigger any early withdrawal penalties. Thank you for sharing this - it's so difficult to get accurate information these days.
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StarStrider
I've spent HOURS trying to reach the IRS using various methods with no success. Finally used Claimyr.com (https://www.claimyr.com) and got a callback from an IRS agent in under 30 minutes. They handle the whole calling and waiting process for you. The agent resolved my CP2000 notice issue immediately. For anyone who values their time, this service is worth considering - it saved me from the perpetual redial nightmare.
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Zara Malik
OMG this is exactly what I needed!!! Did they ask why you were calling? I'm dealing with a tax lien issue and I'm worried they'll just transfer me to collections if I say that upfront. Should I be vague when they ask why I'm calling?
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Luca Marino
I'm a bit worried about this approach. While it might work, you should be aware that: ā¢ The IRS sometimes prioritizes different issue types ā¢ Using the wrong menu options could result in transfers ā¢ Some specialized issues require specific departments ā¢ You might get an agent who can't help with your specific issue It's not that I don't think this works, but just be prepared to possibly be transferred if your issue requires a specialist.
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Nia Davis
According to the IRS website (https://www.irs.gov/help/telephone-assistance), the best times to call are early in the morning. I used OP's method last week and waited 45 minutes for a callback, but my coworker tried at 7:05am and got a callback in just 15 minutes. The phone system is absolutely infuriating - feels deliberately designed to keep people from getting help.
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Mateo Perez
There's a certain art to getting through to the IRS that only comes with practice š I've found that: 1) Mondays and Fridays are the WORST days to call 2) Early morning (7-9am) is golden time 3) Late afternoon (4-6pm) can sometimes work too 4) NEVER call during lunch hours (11:30-1:30) 5) Have your previous year's AGI ready - they often ask I've probably called the IRS 20+ times over the years for various issues. The callback feature has been a game-changer though!
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Aisha Rahman
ā¢The IRS phone system is like trying to navigate a labyrinth designed by a sadistic bureaucrat. I've tried calling mid-month versus end-of-month, and there's definitely a pattern. End of month seems to be when everyone panics about deadlines and the wait times triple. I've had the most success on Wednesdays around 8:30am.
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CosmicCrusader
ā¢lol I've been using the exact same menu trick for yrs. Used to be you could just hit 0 repeatedly to get a human but they patched that "exploit" š Pro tip: if ur using a cell phone, put it on speaker and use the time to sort ur tax docs while waiting. I organize everything by year and type so when they call back I'm ready to go!
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Ethan Brown
ā¢According to Internal Revenue Manual 21.1.1.6, IRS telephone assistors are trained to handle calls in a specific order of priority. If you're calling about a notice with a specific deadline approaching, be sure to mention that immediately as it may qualify you for expedited service under the IRM guidelines.
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Yuki Yamamoto
ā¢I appreciate everyone sharing their experiences. I've been dreading making this call about my amended return. Is there anything specific I should have ready besides my tax return and ID verification info?
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Carmen Ortiz
Just a heads up for anyone using this method - the IRS has different departments handling different issues, so while you might get through to someone, they might need to transfer you. When I called about my stimulus payment issue last year, I got through using a similar method but then had to be transferred to the Economic Impact Payment team. The first agent was still able to look up my information though, so it wasn't a waste of time. Just be prepared that you might need to go through multiple agents depending on your specific issue.
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Lincoln Ramiro
Thank you so much for sharing this! I've been trying to reach someone about a Form 5498 discrepancy for weeks with no luck. The automated system keeps hanging up on me after I enter my information. Quick question - when you say "don't enter anything" for the SSN prompt, do you just wait for it to time out or press a specific key? I want to make sure I follow the steps exactly. Also, did the agent who called you back have access to all your tax information, or did you need to verify your identity again when they called? I'm trying to prepare everything I might need ahead of time. Really appreciate you taking the time to help fellow taxpayers navigate this maze!
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Anastasia Smirnova
ā¢Welcome to the community! For the SSN prompt, I just let it time out - don't press anything, just wait and it will move you to the next menu option. The agent who called me back did ask me to verify my identity again (SSN, filing status, and previous year's AGI), so definitely have your prior year tax return handy. Form 5498 discrepancies can be tricky since they involve retirement account reporting, but the agents are usually pretty knowledgeable about those issues. Good luck getting through!
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Chad Winthrope
This is incredibly helpful - thank you for sharing! I've been struggling to reach the IRS about a 1099-R issue from my 401k rollover and kept getting the "high call volume" disconnect. One thing I'd add for anyone trying this: make sure you have a pen and paper ready when they call back. The agent I spoke with (using a similar method) gave me a lot of important information quickly, and I almost missed some key details about reporting requirements. Also, for those worried about wait times - I've found that if you miss their callback, they don't automatically reschedule you. You have to start the whole process over, so definitely keep your phone close and answer unknown numbers during your callback window! Has anyone had success using this method for questions about estimated tax payments? That's my next hurdle to tackle.
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Anastasia Sokolov
ā¢Great advice about having pen and paper ready! I learned that the hard way when an agent rattled off three different form numbers and I only caught one of them. For estimated tax payments, I actually used a slightly different menu path that worked well. After getting to the main tax questions menu, I selected the option for "payments" instead of "forms filed" and that seemed to route me to agents who were more familiar with quarterly payment issues. The agent was able to help me calculate my Q1 payment and explained the safe harbor rules really clearly. Also totally agree about not missing the callback - they definitely don't reschedule automatically. I set an alarm on my phone for the callback window and made sure to stay somewhere with good reception. The whole process is stressful enough without adding technical difficulties!
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Anastasia Kozlov
This is exactly what I needed to see! I've been putting off calling about my backdoor Roth IRA conversion reporting because I was dreading the phone maze. A few questions for anyone who's used this method recently: 1. Do they ask what your call is about when you first get connected, or do they wait until the callback? 2. If I have multiple tax years to discuss (2022 and 2023), should I mention that upfront or focus on one issue at a time? 3. Has anyone tried this for questions about Form 8606 specifically? I want to make sure I don't get transferred around between departments. I'm planning to try first thing Monday morning (7:05am sharp based on everyone's advice). Really appreciate this community for sharing these practical tips - the IRS website is basically useless for actually getting help!
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