What to expect when calling IRS for advice
November 22, 2024 9:35 PM Subscribe
I have a question about tax returns. I want to call the IRS about it because I can't find enough clear information online/on the IRS website to answer my question. But I'm also filled with crushing dread and anxiety that they won't help me or this will lead to some big scary punishment. For those who have experience of calling the IRS to ask for their guidance, please can you share what to expect?
I don't want to get too specific about the exact question I want to ask them as I know YANMAccountants, but some details that may be relevant:
- In the years I've been filing tax returns, I have never received any indication (e.g. an IRS letter) that anything was amiss. I'm up date to on all my returns. However, I think I've been misunderstanding a question on a schedule form I also file with my 1040. Because I've never had notice that the information I provided was incorrect, I thought it was fine all this time--but I feel like having doubts means I should do something. It's not clear to me how to do this, hence why I want to call the IRS for advice.
- Recently, I realised I'd been making a mistake on previous tax returns that hadn't been picked up. I worked with a tax professional to file amended tax returns. Their services were costly, but it brought me peace of mind. I could reach out to this accountant again, but I'm worried they'll think I'm stupid for having more questions/possibly making another mistake AND that they'll tell me I'll need to access their pricey services again--which, unfortunately, I'm not really in a financial position to be able to do this time.
- I do have an anxiety disorder. It's sometimes hard for me to differentiate when my panic alarm is going off because something is actually happening vs when my panic alarm is going off because I am catastrophizing. In any case, getting clear, unambiguous information from an IRS agent would go a long way to offering some relief for me.
In summary, this question is less about what my specific question on the return is and how you think I should deal with it. Instead, I want to call the IRS but I'm scared to. What can you tell me about your experience with calling the IRS, and what should I expect when I call them?
I don't want to get too specific about the exact question I want to ask them as I know YANMAccountants, but some details that may be relevant:
- In the years I've been filing tax returns, I have never received any indication (e.g. an IRS letter) that anything was amiss. I'm up date to on all my returns. However, I think I've been misunderstanding a question on a schedule form I also file with my 1040. Because I've never had notice that the information I provided was incorrect, I thought it was fine all this time--but I feel like having doubts means I should do something. It's not clear to me how to do this, hence why I want to call the IRS for advice.
- Recently, I realised I'd been making a mistake on previous tax returns that hadn't been picked up. I worked with a tax professional to file amended tax returns. Their services were costly, but it brought me peace of mind. I could reach out to this accountant again, but I'm worried they'll think I'm stupid for having more questions/possibly making another mistake AND that they'll tell me I'll need to access their pricey services again--which, unfortunately, I'm not really in a financial position to be able to do this time.
- I do have an anxiety disorder. It's sometimes hard for me to differentiate when my panic alarm is going off because something is actually happening vs when my panic alarm is going off because I am catastrophizing. In any case, getting clear, unambiguous information from an IRS agent would go a long way to offering some relief for me.
In summary, this question is less about what my specific question on the return is and how you think I should deal with it. Instead, I want to call the IRS but I'm scared to. What can you tell me about your experience with calling the IRS, and what should I expect when I call them?
There's some great advice in this thread from 2023, which I recalled from back then but then quickly found via the "irs" tag that you used in your post.
posted by intermod at 10:04 PM on November 22 [1 favorite]
posted by intermod at 10:04 PM on November 22 [1 favorite]
I didn't pay taxes for 6 or 7 years. Then they finally sent me a letter saying I had to pay, and it was really a mess trying to figure out how to fix it. I called the IRS and the person I spoke with was very helpful and matter of fact. There was no negative repercussion - calling actually reduced the potential negative repercussion because I was able to make a payment plan.
In subsequent years my only negative experience with calling the IRS has been the very long wait times as underfunding has reduced customer service (I assume), but when actually talking to people they have been helpful and kind of de-escallating emotionally.
posted by latkes at 10:22 PM on November 22 [4 favorites]
In subsequent years my only negative experience with calling the IRS has been the very long wait times as underfunding has reduced customer service (I assume), but when actually talking to people they have been helpful and kind of de-escallating emotionally.
posted by latkes at 10:22 PM on November 22 [4 favorites]
I have called a few times and once you get a person (see wait times comment above) they have always been friendly and helpful and not in the slightest judgmental. I have never called the turkey cooking hotline but the IRS had the vibe I’d expect from the turkey people.
posted by janell at 11:06 PM on November 22 [10 favorites]
posted by janell at 11:06 PM on November 22 [10 favorites]
My experience was that I had a question, called 10-12 times, and each time I would get through the first person who would listen to my question, and then I was routed to the correct department, where my call was placed in a queue. Each time I would wait on the phone to talk to someone and then after 1/2 to 1 hour the line would be disconnected.
posted by Vatnesine at 11:16 PM on November 22 [1 favorite]
posted by Vatnesine at 11:16 PM on November 22 [1 favorite]
I have had many a call with the IRS on behalf of an older relative. Every, and I mean EVERY, person with whom I spoke was polite, helpful and tried, within their limits to help my relative pay the least amount. They actually put them in a category of CNC, Can Not Collect which meant they owed it to the IRS, but since they were unable to pay, they told them to get on with their life and the IRS would not put a lien on anything, but if they ever were in a position to start paying they shall.
I believe that as part of the agent training they teach empathy. You don't even have to give them your name if you want to ask them a "theoretical" question. If you panic or are uncomfortable with the agent, just hang up and call again.
You got this!
posted by JohnnyGunn at 11:46 PM on November 22 [8 favorites]
I believe that as part of the agent training they teach empathy. You don't even have to give them your name if you want to ask them a "theoretical" question. If you panic or are uncomfortable with the agent, just hang up and call again.
You got this!
posted by JohnnyGunn at 11:46 PM on November 22 [8 favorites]
As everyone has said, they are super nice and helpful. I can still hear one telling me to "keep your chin up."
posted by jgirl at 4:49 AM on November 23 [3 favorites]
posted by jgirl at 4:49 AM on November 23 [3 favorites]
People leaving anecdotes about long wait times would ideally specify what time of year they were calling and whether it was prior to the last couple years. This release suggests average wait times during the Jan-April season dropped from 28 minutes in 2022 to around 3 minutes last year (though I'd bet that's not counting additional time after being subsequently transferred to another department). And this page specifies that wait times during the off-season are longer, 12 minutes on average these days (though generally shorter on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays). But now if the estimated wait time is going to be longer than 15 minutes, they've implemented a callback service so you can hang up and receive a call when it's your turn in the queue.
posted by nobody at 5:01 AM on November 23 [3 favorites]
posted by nobody at 5:01 AM on November 23 [3 favorites]
I had to work with the IRS on a mistake I had made which involved setting up a repayment plan. They were very nice about everything when I spoke with agents on the phone.
posted by PussKillian at 5:33 AM on November 23
posted by PussKillian at 5:33 AM on November 23
I called once because I couldn't figure out how to file my deceased father's taxes, and they were extremely nice and helpful. I've also messed up both my own and then my father's taxes, and they've sent nice letters saying they're refunding money I overpaid.
posted by lapis at 5:47 AM on November 23
posted by lapis at 5:47 AM on November 23
Just chiming in to say the same thing: every interaction I've had with them over the years has been wonderful.
If you have a local office, and this is less stressful than being on the phone, you can also just walk in and ask them the question in person.
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 5:49 AM on November 23 [1 favorite]
If you have a local office, and this is less stressful than being on the phone, you can also just walk in and ask them the question in person.
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 5:49 AM on November 23 [1 favorite]
I've had to deal with the IRS twice, once on behalf of a student organization I was advising, once on behalf of the union local I'm treasurer for.
When I called them over the former situation, the rep I talked to was competent, kind, and even amused (not meanly so) by some aspects of the matter. I didn't have to call over the latter situation, but it was one where the local was absolutely at fault -- but the IRS waived the penalty at our request.
They're all right really.
posted by humbug at 5:50 AM on November 23
When I called them over the former situation, the rep I talked to was competent, kind, and even amused (not meanly so) by some aspects of the matter. I didn't have to call over the latter situation, but it was one where the local was absolutely at fault -- but the IRS waived the penalty at our request.
They're all right really.
posted by humbug at 5:50 AM on November 23
I’ve had pretty much the opposite experience of most here. They are generally nice enough (other than constantly threatening to hang up if they hear my wife’s voice if I call in about a problem when our taxes are filed jointly) but they have never been able to actually help me about a problem I have every year with a first time home buyer’s credit we got 15 years ago.
I finally did get an agent once who said they will only help on the phone with very simple problems , won’t open tickets to 2nd tier analysts, and that if you have a slightly more complex problem, you have to submit via mail.
Also direct correspondence from them in the form of extremely vague letters sucks.
posted by The_Vegetables at 6:17 AM on November 23
I finally did get an agent once who said they will only help on the phone with very simple problems , won’t open tickets to 2nd tier analysts, and that if you have a slightly more complex problem, you have to submit via mail.
Also direct correspondence from them in the form of extremely vague letters sucks.
posted by The_Vegetables at 6:17 AM on November 23
If you have a simple question, or your taxes are a mess and you need to make a plan, calling can be helpful. It's still a call center with tiers of helpfulness, though. If you're having trouble doing your own taxes, they're not going to give you enough advice; you should pay someone again or at least switch to software that holds your hand more.
posted by michaelh at 6:33 AM on November 23
posted by michaelh at 6:33 AM on November 23
I've had to call the IRS multiple times over the years for a variety of reasons and the "worst" I've gotten was a guy who was just sort of "monotone professional just the facts." Everyone else has been friendly and helpful to the best of their abilities. Absolutely a positive experience.
Although like others I will note that it's a "customer service tree" structure and you may get shuffled to other people to get answers to your questions and to work on plans about what to do if it turns out there is a problem.
that they won't help me or this will lead to some big scary punishment.
They want to help you, because they want to get the money they're owed, and - if your worst fears turn out to be correct and you've done something incorrectly that results in you owing them money - it's much easier for them to deal with a taxpayer who has reached out to them, and to set up a payment plan, rather than have to chase you down and deal with tax lawyers and, like, repossess your house or something else awful. The attitude is absolutely not "punishment", it's "here is a solvable problem, let's work on fixing it." (My strong belief is that we've had decades of conservative propaganda pushed at us by greedy people who would rather not pay taxes at all about how the IRS is a big scary monster aching to leap to punish every taxpayer who's made the slightest mistake.)
Also, if it does turn out that you wind up owing them money and need to set up a payment plan, there will be mention of fines and interest, which sounds scary, but my experience has been that the total of these fines and interest is much less than what you would end up paying if you put your back taxes on a credit card or got some kind of unsecured bank loan or something. Go with the IRS's fines and interest rates, even if your anxiety is screaming at you to pay it right now just to put an end to it.
posted by soundguy99 at 8:24 AM on November 23 [2 favorites]
Although like others I will note that it's a "customer service tree" structure and you may get shuffled to other people to get answers to your questions and to work on plans about what to do if it turns out there is a problem.
that they won't help me or this will lead to some big scary punishment.
They want to help you, because they want to get the money they're owed, and - if your worst fears turn out to be correct and you've done something incorrectly that results in you owing them money - it's much easier for them to deal with a taxpayer who has reached out to them, and to set up a payment plan, rather than have to chase you down and deal with tax lawyers and, like, repossess your house or something else awful. The attitude is absolutely not "punishment", it's "here is a solvable problem, let's work on fixing it." (My strong belief is that we've had decades of conservative propaganda pushed at us by greedy people who would rather not pay taxes at all about how the IRS is a big scary monster aching to leap to punish every taxpayer who's made the slightest mistake.)
Also, if it does turn out that you wind up owing them money and need to set up a payment plan, there will be mention of fines and interest, which sounds scary, but my experience has been that the total of these fines and interest is much less than what you would end up paying if you put your back taxes on a credit card or got some kind of unsecured bank loan or something. Go with the IRS's fines and interest rates, even if your anxiety is screaming at you to pay it right now just to put an end to it.
posted by soundguy99 at 8:24 AM on November 23 [2 favorites]
I came in to say essentially what michaelh said, which is that they can give you information but not tax advice. I think it's extremely frustrating to lay people, because it's really hard to distinguish between the two - the difference between the questions "what is the rule?" and "what do I specifically need to do?"
I have been a taxpayer-caller to the IRS, and I have worked in the federal government (not the IRS, but in a similar department, and worked with the public in similar ways). My experience on both sides has been that the IRS/my former department really does want to assist individuals to become compliant, and to help avoid penalties. Sometimes, though, the situation is complex enough that an individual needs expert advice past what an explanation of the relevant rule can do.
posted by Pax at 6:10 PM on November 23 [2 favorites]
I have been a taxpayer-caller to the IRS, and I have worked in the federal government (not the IRS, but in a similar department, and worked with the public in similar ways). My experience on both sides has been that the IRS/my former department really does want to assist individuals to become compliant, and to help avoid penalties. Sometimes, though, the situation is complex enough that an individual needs expert advice past what an explanation of the relevant rule can do.
posted by Pax at 6:10 PM on November 23 [2 favorites]
When I have called in the past to ask for help clarifying confusing IRS instructions (in their booklets, not in a letter to me) I was told by them that they basically wouldn't help and I should contact an accountant.
posted by sonofsnark at 12:15 PM on November 24
posted by sonofsnark at 12:15 PM on November 24
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...I mean, they audited me (to the tune of a shitload of money), I sent them a spreadsheet of how I had calculated my losses, and then I got a letter back saying they'd dismissed the action against me and I was in the clear. Also, fuck brokers for losing the cost basis, that's literally one of the main reasons to use them!
Also, if you can afford it, hiring an EA (Enrolled Agent) to file your taxes can be a huge weight off your shoulders. IME, they're substantially more skilled than your usual tax prep person. I rely on mine to file some mildly arcane paperwork with finCEN as well as usual taxes. They are not a CPA or CFP, mind.
If you're in Chicago or the Bay Area let me know and I can recommend someone.
posted by aramaic at 10:02 PM on November 22 [3 favorites]