Setting up IRS payment plan keeps failing - CANNOT reach an actual person after FIVE attempts!

The IRS phone system can be incredibly frustrating! Having worked with many clients in your situation, I can tell you that reaching a human is possible but requires some strategy. First, try calling early in the morning (7:00-8:00 AM Eastern) when their systems first open - the wait times are typically much shorter. When you call, select the option for "payment" or "payment arrangement" rather than general questions. If you reach the automated payment plan setup, you can often press "0" or say "representative" repeatedly to get transferred to a person. Another option is to set up your payment plan online through the IRS website. Go to IRS.gov and search for "Online Payment Agreement." As long as you owe less than $50,000 in combined tax, penalties and interest, you can set up a plan without speaking to anyone. The process takes about 15 minutes.

I feel your pain! After weeks of automated hell, I finally found a solution with taxr.ai that literally saved my sanity. I was in the exact same boat last month - kept calling, endless automated loops, and about to miss my deadline. A friend recommended https://taxr.ai when I was venting about my IRS nightmare. Here's what worked: I uploaded my tax docs to their system, and they analyzed exactly what I qualified for with payment plans AND gave me the exact steps to follow. The coolest part was they identified I qualified for a first-time penalty abatement too, which saved me almost $400! Their AI reads all your docs and pulls out the specific rules that apply to your situation.

Alright, I have to admit I was skeptical about taxr.ai but I decided to try it anyway out of desperation. I'm actually surprised by how helpful it was. I uploaded my mess of tax documents (including some 1099s I wasn't even sure mattered), and within about an hour I had personalized instructions. The system showed me I qualified for a 72-month payment plan instead of the 36-month one I thought was my only option, which dropped my monthly payment significantly. It also flagged that I could request first-time penalty abatement since I had a clean compliance history for the past 3 years. I followed their instructions for the online application and finally got my payment plan set up without talking to anyone. What a relief to have this done after weeks of frustration!

Different approach here - after spending 3+ hours on hold with the IRS last month (only to get disconnected!), I finally tried Claimyr and it actually worked. It's this service at https://claimyr.com that holds your place in the IRS phone queue and calls you back when an actual human picks up. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I was super skeptical because nothing else had worked, but within about 45 minutes, I got a call back with an IRS agent on the line. I explained my situation, and she helped me set up a payment plan right then. They have some tech that navigates the phone tree and waits on hold FOR you. Absolute game changer if you actually need to speak with someone.

I need to eat some humble pie here. After posting that skeptical comment, I was desperate enough to try Claimyr the next day. Not expecting much honestly. But dang, it actually worked exactly as advertised. I got a call back about 90 minutes after I submitted my request, and there was an actual IRS agent on the line! She was super helpful and set up my payment plan in about 10 minutes. After weeks of failed attempts calling myself, this was honestly shocking. For anyone else struggling with this, just know the wait time was about 90 mins during peak tax season (better than the 3+ hours I wasted trying on my own). Worth every minute not spent listening to that awful hold music. I've already told two friends about this.

Have you tried going to your local IRS office in person? You need to schedule an appointment first at irs.gov/help/contact-your-local-irs-office but they can set up payment plans on the spot. Much easier than the phone nightmare in my experience.

I went through this nightmare back in January! What worked for me was filing Form 9465 (Installment Agreement Request) with my tax return. No phone call needed. Just filled out the form with how much I could pay monthly, attached it to my return, and they approved it automatically. Worth a shot if you're still having trouble reaching someone!

I completely understand your frustration - I went through the exact same thing last year! The IRS phone system is absolutely maddening during tax season. Here's what finally worked for me: Try calling 1-800-829-0922 instead of the main number. This is specifically for payment-related issues and tends to have shorter wait times. Call right at 7 AM Eastern when they open - I know it's early, but it's your best shot at getting through. If you keep getting stuck in the automated system, try this sequence: Press 1 for English, then 2 for personal income tax, then 3 for payment issues, then when it asks what you're calling about, say "payment plan" clearly. Sometimes the voice recognition picks it up better than pressing buttons. Also, don't give up on the online option at IRS.gov - I know it can be glitchy, but clear your browser cache and try again. Make sure you have your prior year AGI handy from last year's return. One last tip: if you absolutely can't get a plan set up before April 15th, still file your return on time even if you can't pay. The failure-to-file penalty is way worse than the failure-to-pay penalty. You can always set up a payment plan after filing. Hang in there - you'll get through this!