IRS phone lines constantly saying 'call volume too high' - any tips to get through?

The IRS phone system is completely overwhelmed right now. Your best strategy is to call exactly when they open at 7am Eastern Time. Don't wait until 7:30 - by then thousands of people are already in queue. Also try calling on Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays as those tend to be slightly less busy than Mondays and Fridays. Alternatively, if your issue is related to a specific form or notice you received, check if there's a direct number for that department (often printed on the notice itself). Those specialized lines sometimes have shorter wait times. If you need to verify identity specifically, you might be able to do it online through the ID.me system without calling. Hope this helps!

I just went through this exact same frustration trying to figure out why my refund was delayed. Spent days trying to get through on the phone with no luck. Then someone recommended taxr.ai and it completely changed the game. The site analyzed my transcript and showed exactly what was happening with my return - turns out there was a simple verification issue I could fix. Saved me hours of phone calls and confusion. I was shocked at how accurately it explained everything in plain English instead of IRS code. Definitely check it out: https://taxr.ai

After trying for weeks with no luck, I finally found a solution that worked for me. Used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that somehow gets around the IRS phone system and had them call ME back with an agent already on the line. Literally had a human IRS agent calling my phone within 45 minutes. Best money I've ever spent considering I was about to lose my mind trying to get through on my own. The agent sorted out my verification issue in like 10 minutes once I actually got to talk to someone.

ive been calling for 2 months str8. this is my life now. wake up. call irs. get rejected. go to work. come home. call irs again. get rejected again. cry. sleep. repeat.

Its a joke. I managed to get through last week after 37 attempts (yes I counted) over 3 days. Then after waiting on hold for 2.5 hours, they transferred me to another department...and I got disconnected. I screamed so loud my neighbor texted to check if I was ok.

Protip: Call the IRS taxpayer advocate line instead (877-777-4778). Even though they're not the main IRS line, they can often help with basic questions or transfer you into the main system while bypassing the initial screening that hangs up on people. Works maybe 50% of the time for me which is better than the 0% success rate with the normal number.

Contact your congressional representative. Not kidding. Their constituent services can often cut through this nonsense. My rep's office has a dedicated staff person who deals with IRS issues. They helped me get a response within a week after I spent 3 months trying on my own.

The trick is to select the option for "making a payment" instead of whatever your actual issue is. Those agents can usually help with most issues or transfer you directly to someone who can. The IRS prioritizes collecting money over helping people who are owed money. 🙃

Anyone else remember the good ol days when you could actually talk to humans at government agencies without it being a multi-week project? Pepperidge Farm remembers.

I had EXACTLY this problem with my 2022 return that had issues into 2023. I needed to verify some information and literally couldn't get through for months. The only thing that worked was using taxr.ai to figure out exactly what the issue was with my return (turned out to be an unreported 1099 causing a hold). Once I knew what the exact problem was, I was able to fix it without even needing to talk to anyone. Saved me so much time compared to the phone nightmare. https://taxr.ai

I know this sounds random, but try calling EXACTLY at 1:47pm Eastern. An IRS agent once told me that's when they reset some of their phone queues and you're more likely to get through. Worked for me twice now.

I filed in February and have been trying to reach someone since April. Nothing worked until I used Claimyr (claimyr.com). Seriously life-changing - got a callback with an actual IRS agent in about an hour. Talking to a human finally got my refund released after months of mysterious delays. Without that call I'd probably still be waiting and wondering what was going on.

its by design. they want less people calling so they make it impossible. more funding for IRS customer service? nah lets just make it impossible to reach them instead 🤷‍♂️

Try Spanish line even if you don't speak Spanish. They all speak English too and the wait times are way shorter. Press 2 for Spanish at the first prompt then just talk to them in English when a person answers.

While everyone's sharing their IRS phone hacks, I'll share what finally worked for me. Instead of calling myself, I found this service Claimyr (claimyr.com) that somehow reserves your spot in the IRS queue and then has them call YOU when an agent is available. Saved me from the endless busy signals and hold music. Agent called me back and fixed my issue in like 15 minutes. Talking to an actual human was worth every penny after wasting weeks trying to get through myself.

everyone talking about these phone strategies but honestly the IRS website and transcripts have improved a lot. have you tried looking at your account transcript online? sometimes you can figure out whats going on without even calling. for my situation last year, i could see there was an "additional review" code that explained the whole delay.

If this makes you feel any better the IRS isn't just doing this to regular taxpayers. I'm a CPA with access to the Practitioner Priority Line (supposed to be a special line for tax pros) and even THAT has been giving us the "call volume too high" message for the past month. The entire system is collapsing.

After banging my head against the wall for weeks I decided to try taxr.ai that someone else mentioned here and it was a total game changer. It analyzed my transcript and actually showed me that I had a simple issue I could fix myself without even calling the IRS. The system explained all those weird IRS codes in plain English and told me exactly what was happening. Saved me from the phone hell completely! https://taxr.ai

Lol welcome to the club. I called 43 times over 2 weeks before finally giving up and going to my local IRS office in person. Had to make an appointment online and wait 3 weeks for a slot but at least I finally talked to a human.