Still Can’t Get a Human at the IRS? Join the Club.
If you’ve ever tried calling the IRS, you know it can feel like shouting into the void. Endless phone trees, robotic responses, and hour-long wait times make even the simplest question feel like a marathon.
And the worst part? That journey often ends with a click. You know what I’m talking about. That dreaded dropped call, or worse, the irritatingly cheerful “please call back later” from an automated system that never intended to help you in the first place.
Back in the height of the pandemic, taxpayers were reporting shocking odds. According to a 2021 Washington Post article, you had about a 1 in 50 chance of reaching an actual IRS employee. That’s… not great. Especially when your stimulus check or refund was on the line.
So, have things improved since then? A little. But the reality is, talking to a real human at the IRS is still one of the most frustrating parts of dealing with your taxes.
Pandemic Problems vs. Present-Day Phone Woes
During the pandemic, the IRS was dealing with historic call volumes and staffing shortages. The agency was tasked with distributing millions of stimulus checks on top of its usual workload, and all while most employees were working remotely or furloughed.
The result? Phone lines jammed for weeks, taxpayer mail piling up, and robotic phone menus that left many screaming into the receiver.
Fast forward to today, and while the peak crisis has passed, the core problem remains: The IRS is not built for easy one-on-one support. The agency has taken steps to modernize, including adding more self-service tools online, launching a chatbot-style “Digital Assistant”, and expanding hours at some taxpayer assistance centers.
Still, reaching a real-life person who can actually solve your problem often requires persistence, strategy, and maybe a little luck.
What You Can Do When You Can’t Get Through
For many people, the frustration isn't just that the IRS doesn’t answer. It's that when they finally do, the person on the other end might not have the authority or resources to help. This is especially true for situations like reissuing checks, correcting addresses, or resolving errors flagged in processing.
So what do you do when the phone fails you? Here's how to improve your chances—and protect yourself in the process:
- Try calling early in the morning. Lines open at 7 a.m. local time. Earlier calls tend to have shorter wait times.
- Use the IRS’s official online tools like “Where’s My Refund?” and “Get Transcript” before calling. These tools have improved since the pandemic.
- File a Form 8822 if your address has changed. Many issues stem from returned mail or outdated records.
- Set up mail forwarding through the U.S. Postal Service to catch any rerouted checks or notices.
- Last much not least, you shouldn’t rely on just one method. Use the IRS online portal, secure messaging (if available), and even snail mail when needed.
Most importantly though, beware of scammers. When people are desperate to speak with someone at the IRS, they become prime targets for fraudsters pretending to be government agents. The IRS will never call you out of the blue to demand personal information or payment. If you get a suspicious message, ignore it and report it to the Federal Trade Commission.
Is the IRS Trying to Improve? Yes. Is It Enough? Not Yet.
In fairness to the agency, the IRS has acknowledged that its customer service hasn’t always met expectations (for more info on that, see their Strategic Operating Plan, published in April 2023) They’ve added more call center staff, expanded help on weekends during peak filing season, and committed to upgrading technology.
But the bottom line is this: If you need personalized support, especially for something like a misdirected refund or a missing payment, you’ll likely still be stuck navigating robotic menus, enduring long holds, or mailing paper forms that disappear into a bureaucratic black hole.
The Final Word: Don’t Wait, Act
The longer you wait to resolve IRS issues, the harder they can be to fix. If your problem involves a misrouted check, out-of-date information, or an unresolved return, take action now, even if the steps feel slow.
The pandemic may have exposed the IRS’s weakest points, but many of those challenges persist today. While you can’t control the phone trees or the hold times, you can control your preparation, your persistence, and your awareness.
And if you do finally hear a human voice on the other end of the line? Take a deep breath. You’ve earned it.