Whether you’re filling a prescription, rebooking a flight, or asking a question about your taxes, it seems like the first line of defense between you and any sort of real human helper is a never-ending string of automated prompts. But not all questions can be answered by a computer—especially when it comes to your taxes.
The IRS expects more than 140 million individual tax returns for 2024 to be filed this season, which has a deadline of April 15, 2025. That’s a lot of taxpayers on hold. Over the past few years, the IRS has certainly made improvements on its phone service, as well as expanding online tools. Still, anyone who has tried calling the IRS knows it can seem impossible to get a real human to take your call.
Of course, the IRS recommends checking its online resources before calling. It has a list of common issues that might answer your question about your tax return, payments, or identity theft concerns. But sometimes you need to talk to a real person. To do this, I used what I like to call the “1-2-3” hack to reach an actual agent within 60 seconds. Here’s how you can reach someone that quickly, too.
How long will you have to wait to talk to someone at the IRS?
Most callers either get frustrated with the long waits or fed up with the complicated phone tree that only leads from one automated message to another, so they simply hang up. If you do stick it out, the IRS claims this year’s wait times average 12 minutes. That’s a significant improvement from the 27-minute average from the past few years, but still—it’s a headache. Plus, some phone lines may have longer wait times. The IRS also says the longest waits typically fall on Mondays and Tuesdays.
How to reach an actual person at the IRS: Use the 1-2-3 hack
The IRS telephone number is 1-800-829-1040, and is available from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time, Monday through Friday. To speak with someone at the IRS, you have to call, navigate through a menu, and eventually get routed to find an agent if one is available. Here’s how I reached an agent as soon as possible.
The first question the automated system will ask you is to choose your language. Press 1 for English.
Once you’ve set your language, press 2 to select “For answers about your personal income taxes…” instead.
Next, press 3 once you hear “for all other questions.”
I didn’t listen to any of the full prompts, enter my SSN or EIN, or waste any time at all, really. Instead, as soon as I heard an automated voice start the next prompt, I hit the next number. I pressed 1-2-3, and I was speaking with a real person within the minute.
At this point, this real person you’ve reached is the operator who will direct your call to the right department. My operator estimated it would take me about five minutes to reach a real human agent in the right department, and they were right. I didn’t have to waste any of my precious time listening to all those damn automated options, either.
Make sure you’re prepared before you call the IRS with questions
Before you call, make sure you’ve gathered everything you might need while talking with the agent. The IRS recommends having the following items ready:
Social Security numbers (SSN) and birth dates
Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) for taxpayers without a Social Security number
Filing status (single, head of household, married filing joint, or married filing separate)
Prior-year tax return
The tax return you’re calling about
Any correspondence from the IRS
What to do if you can’t get in touch with anyone at the IRS
If you live near a local IRS office, you may want to skip the main phone line and call it directly. They probably can’t answer your questions by phone, but your Taxpayer Assistance Center (see the state-by-state directory here) can schedule an appointment.
If you’re still having a hard time getting help from a real live person, try contacting the Taxpayer Advocate Service. It’s an independent office within the IRS that exists to help people with their ongoing tax issues.
