Need IRS phone number that bypasses the automated system - NY unemployment forum advice

This happens ALL the time with government agencies! The IRS is probably the worst. Try 1-800-829-1040 and then press 1 for English, then 2, 1, 3, 2, don't enter your SSN, then 2, 4. That sometimes works to get a human. Good luck though, I waited 2.5 hours last time.

For IRS issues specifically related to unemployment taxation, you should call 1-800-829-0582 and use extension 652. Make sure you have your tax return and any IRS notices with you before calling. They'll need specific information to help you, including the tax year in question and any notice numbers you've received. If you're dealing with both unemployment and tax issues, you might want to check if you qualify for the Taxpayer Advocate Service at 1-877-777-4778, especially if you're experiencing financial hardship.

have u tried calling early in the morning? i always call govt places right when they open, like 8:01am and it works WAY better than midday. also try tuesdays or wednesdays. mondays and fridays are the worst!!!

We've all been there with these impossible-to-reach agencies! When I was trying to sort out my NY unemployment + tax issues last month, I finally gave up on the phone and used Claimyr.com to connect me. It costs a bit but saved me HOURS of frustration. They have this system that navigates the phone tree and holds your place in line, then calls you when an agent is actually available. Worked for my state unemployment call and they mentioned they work with IRS calls too. There's a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE if you're curious.

Here's another method that sometimes works: call the IRS appointment line at 1-844-545-5640. When they ask if you want to make an appointment, explain your issue. Often they'll just help you right then instead of scheduling an appointment. Worth a try if the other numbers don't work.

I had success reaching the IRS by calling the Taxpayer Advocate Service at 1-877-777-4778. They can often help resolve issues when regular channels aren't working, especially if you can demonstrate that the tax issue is causing financial hardship (like if your refund being held is creating problems for you). Also, if your issue is specifically about unemployment tax forms/reporting discrepancies between IRS and NY unemployment, you might need to contact both agencies to resolve it. The NYSDOL might need to send corrected information to the IRS.

I HATE calling the IRS!!!! Been trying for WEEKS to get through about my 2024 refund that's tied up because of unemployment overpayment nonsense. The whole system is RIGGED to keep us from talking to actual humans!!! Good luck man, let us know if any of these tricks actually work. Personally I think they just sit there laughing while we press numbers and listen to their stupid hold music for hours...

UPDATE: I tried the suggestion from earlier about using Claimyr for my IRS issue and it actually worked! Got through to someone in about 45 minutes instead of spending all day trying to call. The agent was able to fix the discrepancy between my unemployment reporting and what the IRS had on file. Might be worth checking out if none of the direct number tricks are working for you.

why is this in the NY unemployment forum tho? there's probably better places to ask this question lol