Anyone know how to get a live person a IRS on the phone?

[somersault72]

I need to talk to a person at the IRS because I have a question that the automated system can't answer (regarding the status of a return I filed for 2018). Does anyone know a number that will actually let me talk to a person. Nothing I've found on the Googles has helped so far and I'm getting frustrated.
TIA!

[Pilsy]

Have you tried Get Human?

gethuman.com/phone-number/IRS

[seeyalater52]

If you figure it out let me know! We filed for 2018 several months ago and I’ve been trying to check the status but cannot for the life of me figure out how.

[picksthemusic]

I can ask my mom's husband, he used to work for the IRS.

[icedcoffee]

All I know is that it requires sitting on hold a long time. Call midweek and midmorning I think and be prepared to wait. Last time I did it I sat on hold for 3 or 4 hours. I can't remember doing anything special other than calling their main number. Sorry.

[flex]

I agree with icedcoffee. Get on the phone first thing in the morning and be prepared for a potentially very long wait. Be sure you write the name of the person and their ID # once they answer.

[somersault72]

Oct 29, 2020 12:31:26 GMT -5 seeyalater52 said:

If you figure it out let me know! We filed for 2018 several months ago and I’ve been trying to check the status but cannot for the life of me figure out how.

This whole thing is SUPER frustrating. The phone says "if you filed a complete and accurate return" it should be done in 21 business days. Well I *think* it was complete/accurate (albeit late). When are you going to let us know if it isn't?? I mailed it in mid August. We should be getting a refund AND we qualify for the stimulus and we could certainly use the cash, too.

[somersault72]

Oct 29, 2020 12:48:30 GMT -5 icedcoffee said:

All I know is that it requires sitting on hold a long time. Call midweek and midmorning I think and be prepared to wait. Last time I did it I sat on hold for 3 or 4 hours. I can't remember doing anything special other than calling their main number. Sorry.

That's the thing, the only number I am finding I am not even getting an OPTION to talk to someone. I'm used to being on hold (I am still fighting with Ohio unemployment over money they owe me from April). It's not even a matter of long hold times, EVERYTHING is automated.

[seeyalater52]

Oct 29, 2020 12:52:10 GMT -5 somersault72 said:

Oct 29, 2020 12:31:26 GMT -5 seeyalater52 said:

If you figure it out let me know! We filed for 2018 several months ago and I’ve been trying to check the status but cannot for the life of me figure out how.

This whole thing is SUPER frustrating. The phone says "if you filed a complete and accurate return" it should be done in 21 business days. Well I *think* it was complete/accurate (albeit late). When are you going to let us know if it isn't?? I mailed it in mid August. We should be getting a refund AND we qualify for the stimulus and we could certainly use the cash, too.

Yup same here. Mailed it end of July and crickets. Ive heard there is a backlog of paper returns to process but no info whatsoever on the timeline and it’s damn near impossible to get someone on the phone. I’ll probably try to call in the morning sometime soon, although they explicitly say not to call for status updates on returns.

Good luck. I feel your frustration! We are owed a massive refund so I’d really like to get it sooner than later.

[picksthemusic]

Okay, he said 800-829-1040 and to just wait on the line for a person.

HTH!

[tealblue]

Can you try your local IRS office?

[icedcoffee]

Oct 29, 2020 12:53:57 GMT -5 somersault72 said:

Oct 29, 2020 12:48:30 GMT -5 icedcoffee said:

All I know is that it requires sitting on hold a long time. Call midweek and midmorning I think and be prepared to wait. Last time I did it I sat on hold for 3 or 4 hours. I can't remember doing anything special other than calling their main number. Sorry.

That's the thing, the only number I am finding I am not even getting an OPTION to talk to someone. I'm used to being on hold (I am still fighting with Ohio unemployment over money they owe me from April). It's not even a matter of long hold times, EVERYTHING is automated.

Ugh.  I'm sorry.  I'm sure it's even worse with COVID and WFH so they may not be even giving the option.  Good luck!

[arehopsveggies]

This summer I did some googling that said which options to press to get a human. It actually worked, the person I got was in the completely wrong department but was actually helpful and it was really fast.

twocents.lifehacker.com/how-to-talk-to-a-real-human-at-the-irs-without-waiting-1842128259

[jc2009]

Not sure if this would answer your question but you can request a transcript which would verify that it is in their system.

www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript

[sometimesrunner]

Oct 29, 2020 12:52:10 GMT -5 somersault72 said:

Oct 29, 2020 12:31:26 GMT -5 seeyalater52 said:

If you figure it out let me know! We filed for 2018 several months ago and I’ve been trying to check the status but cannot for the life of me figure out how.

This whole thing is SUPER frustrating. The phone says "if you filed a complete and accurate return" it should be done in 21 business days. Well I *think* it was complete/accurate (albeit late). When are you going to let us know if it isn't?? I mailed it in mid August. We should be getting a refund AND we qualify for the stimulus and we could certainly use the cash, too.

Oh gosh. Because of the pandemic, everything we've been hearing in our continuing educations classes is if you mail anything to the IRS, expect it to take 6 months to process. You're going to be waiting awhile. I'm guessing the automated message is in regards to electronically filed returns, and even then 21 days is...optimistic. 

[seeyalater52]

Oct 29, 2020 15:26:22 GMT -5 sometimesrunner said:

Oct 29, 2020 12:52:10 GMT -5 somersault72 said:

This whole thing is SUPER frustrating. The phone says "if you filed a complete and accurate return" it should be done in 21 business days. Well I *think* it was complete/accurate (albeit late). When are you going to let us know if it isn't?? I mailed it in mid August. We should be getting a refund AND we qualify for the stimulus and we could certainly use the cash, too.

Oh gosh. Because of the pandemic, everything we've been hearing in our continuing educations classes is if you mail anything to the IRS, expect it to take 6 months to process. You're going to be waiting awhile. I'm guessing the automated message is in regards to electronically filed returns, and even then 21 days is...optimistic. 

I’m pretty sure you can’t file past year’s returns electronically, which is why we had to mail them.

[whatever]

Oct 29, 2020 18:05:22 GMT -5 seeyalater52 said:

Oct 29, 2020 15:26:22 GMT -5 sometimesrunner said:

Oh gosh. Because of the pandemic, everything we've been hearing in our continuing educations classes is if you mail anything to the IRS, expect it to take 6 months to process. You're going to be waiting awhile. I'm guessing the automated message is in regards to electronically filed returns, and even then 21 days is...optimistic. 

I’m pretty sure you can’t file past year’s returns electronically, which is why we had to mail them.

Actually you can efile a prior year return through a tax preparer or other software. I’m a CPA and my software allows it (I forget how far back we can go, I think it’s further than just the years in statute)

[whatever]

Oct 29, 2020 12:51:53 GMT -5 flex said:

I agree with icedcoffee. Get on the phone first thing in the morning and be prepared for a potentially very long wait. Be sure you write the name of the person and their ID # once they answer.

I agree, first thing in the morning and not on a Monday. Write their name and I’d number down, they say it really fast.

If you’re having trouble you can have a CPA do it for you, we have a practitioner line we can call with much shorter wait times.

[seeyalater52]

Oct 29, 2020 18:50:20 GMT -5 whatever said:

Oct 29, 2020 18:05:22 GMT -5 seeyalater52 said:

I’m pretty sure you can’t file past year’s returns electronically, which is why we had to mail them.

Actually you can efile a prior year return through a tax preparer or other software. I’m a CPA and my software allows it (I forget how far back we can go, I think it’s further than just the years in statute)

Good to know. We used a CPA to do this particular year of taxes but they weren’t able to file them electronically. Maybe something to do with Covid? Not sure but she is well respected and she did explain it at the time, I just don’t recall what the specific reasoning was.

[whatever]

Oct 29, 2020 18:59:37 GMT -5 seeyalater52 said:

Oct 29, 2020 18:50:20 GMT -5 whatever said:

Actually you can efile a prior year return through a tax preparer or other software. I’m a CPA and my software allows it (I forget how far back we can go, I think it’s further than just the years in statute)

Good to know. We used a CPA to do this particular year of taxes but they weren’t able to file them electronically. Maybe something to do with Covid? Not sure but she is well respected and she did explain it at the time, I just don’t recall what the specific reasoning was.

Possibly the time of year? Efile does go down for a couple months of the year for maintenance. Or maybe you filed an amended return? Those couldn’t be efiled until recently.

[sometimesrunner]

Oct 29, 2020 18:05:22 GMT -5 seeyalater52 said:

Oct 29, 2020 15:26:22 GMT -5 sometimesrunner said:

Oh gosh. Because of the pandemic, everything we've been hearing in our continuing educations classes is if you mail anything to the IRS, expect it to take 6 months to process. You're going to be waiting awhile. I'm guessing the automated message is in regards to electronically filed returns, and even then 21 days is...optimistic. 

I’m pretty sure you can’t file past year’s returns electronically, which is why we had to mail them.

I understand. I was just letting you know that you’re in for a waiting game.

[dbe100408]

We efiled our 2019 return before the deadline in July. We are due a substantial refund. Received a letter dated 7/24 that they flagged our return for review. Received the exact same letter dated one week later. The letter stated there was nothing for us to do, except call if we didn’t have our refund or any additional communications from them. Waited 60 days from the first letter, called, and was told to call 60 days from some arbitrary date in August. Called back again October 12, told that they were past the 60 days (duh! 🙄) and she would put a note in the system. There’s nothing I can do to get my 5 figure refund except call back in December. I used the 800 number posted above, and I think the sequence of numbers I selected was 2-1-3-2. Call first thing in the morning if you can. I think they open at 7 am CST.

The two agents I talked to cited the pandemic as the reason there are processing delays.

Good luck!

[somersault72]

Oct 29, 2020 13:36:16 GMT -5 arehopsveggies said:

This summer I did some googling that said which options to press to get a human. It actually worked, the person I got was in the completely wrong department but was actually helpful and it was really fast.

twocents.lifehacker.com/how-to-talk-to-a-real-human-at-the-irs-without-waiting-1842128259

This worked, thank you so much! Unfortunately they either haven't gotten to it yet or it got lost in the mail. 😔

[seeyalater52]

Resurrecting this because we never got any sort of communication from the IRS about our 2018 refund (filed late in July 2020) and when we called they had no record of anything. We just got the check for our full refund (which is a LOT of money) from the IRS. So random, but very glad it's resolved!

Any updates from other folks who got stuck in the IRS covid limbo?

[isabel]

We got a notification in early January that we owed $11k. It was a mistake and based on the fact that we accidentally neglected to file a form with our 2018 taxes. We gathered all the necessary information and returned it to them before the deadline. Haven't heard a peep since. I just recently started wondering about it again, but I'm unwilling to sit on the phone for hours to try to figure it out.

So, I guess I'm letting it go and either we'll never hear about it again or they'll send us a letter saying we now owe the $11k plus $57k in interest fees. Sigh.

[purplepenguin7]

Mar 18, 2021 11:54:12 GMT -5 seeyalater52 said:

Resurrecting this because we never got any sort of communication from the IRS about our 2018 refund (filed late in July 2020) and when we called they had no record of anything. We just got the check for our full refund (which is a LOT of money) from the IRS. So random, but very glad it's resolved!

Any updates from other folks who got stuck in the IRS covid limbo?

This makes me so happy. We sent in an amendment to 2018 in mid August and there has been zero record of it on the IRS website. I hope this means ours might be processed soon!

[seeyalater52]

Mar 18, 2021 21:57:38 GMT -5 purplepenguin7 said:

Mar 18, 2021 11:54:12 GMT -5 seeyalater52 said:

Resurrecting this because we never got any sort of communication from the IRS about our 2018 refund (filed late in July 2020) and when we called they had no record of anything. We just got the check for our full refund (which is a LOT of money) from the IRS. So random, but very glad it's resolved!

Any updates from other folks who got stuck in the IRS covid limbo?

This makes me so happy. We sent in an amendment to 2018 in mid August and there has been zero record of it on the IRS website. I hope this means ours might be processed soon!

You should have seen me holding the check up to the light to see if it had a watermark. It literally just came in a banker envelope with no letter or anything. So freaking weird. I hope you get some sort of confirmation soon!

[somersault72]

Mar 18, 2021 11:54:12 GMT -5 seeyalater52 said:

Resurrecting this because we never got any sort of communication from the IRS about our 2018 refund (filed late in July 2020) and when we called they had no record of anything. We just got the check for our full refund (which is a LOT of money) from the IRS. So random, but very glad it's resolved!

Any updates from other folks who got stuck in the IRS covid limbo?

Yay!!! I'm so happy for you. This gives me hope. No updates here as of yet.

[seeyalater52]

Mar 18, 2021 23:34:40 GMT -5 somersault72 said:

Mar 18, 2021 11:54:12 GMT -5 seeyalater52 said:

Resurrecting this because we never got any sort of communication from the IRS about our 2018 refund (filed late in July 2020) and when we called they had no record of anything. We just got the check for our full refund (which is a LOT of money) from the IRS. So random, but very glad it's resolved!

Any updates from other folks who got stuck in the IRS covid limbo?

Yay!!! I'm so happy for you. This gives me hope. No updates here as of yet.

I hope they get to yours soon!

[purplepenguin7]

Mar 18, 2021 22:13:39 GMT -5 seeyalater52 said:

Mar 18, 2021 21:57:38 GMT -5 purplepenguin7 said:

This makes me so happy. We sent in an amendment to 2018 in mid August and there has been zero record of it on the IRS website. I hope this means ours might be processed soon!

You should have seen me holding the check up to the light to see if it had a watermark. It literally just came in a banker envelope with no letter or anything. So freaking weird. I hope you get some sort of confirmation soon!

seeyalater52, do you usually get direct deposit and they sent a check or do you not have bank account information on file with the IRS?  I've been checking for a surprise deposit but maybe I should be on the lookout for a hard check!