INDIANAPOLIS — Getting help from the Internal Revenue Service during tax time can be downright difficult.
In this week’s Tax Tip Tuesday, we are finding out how you can actually get in touch with someone.
A recent report from the Taxpayer Advocate criticized the IRS for its customer service including that only 29 percent of callers reached a live IRS employee in Fiscal Year 2023.
The report also found victims of tax-related identity theft waited an average of 19 months to have their returns processed and receive their refunds.
WRTV’s Kara Kenney sat down with Stacy Engle, and IRS spokesperson based in Indianapolis, and asked what the IRS is doing to address those wait times.
“They've increased the number of walk-in centers where people can go face to face and take in their identification, their letters, their tax returns,” said Engle. “It makes it easier when they can actually look at somebody and look at their account. They've increased the number of employees who are staffing the phones. They've also increased the number of chat bots and voice bots that are available on the phone lines that can recognize voice and answer a lot of the questions on there."
Engle recommends trying to get your questions answered first on https://www.irs.gov/.
If you get a notice from the IRS, call the phone number listed on the letter.
You can also call 1-800-829-1040.
To find a local IRS office, click here.
You can also get help preparing your tax return with the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance locations. Find one here.
You can contact the Local Taxpayer Advocate in Indiana at 317-685-7840 or click here.
Another option is the Interactive Tax Assistant, which provides answers to several tax law questions specific to your circumstances.
“It's more a of a tool that says are you married — Yes or no, and if you're married, do you live with your house, do you plan to file together or separately?” said Stacy Engle, an IRS spokesperson based in Indianapolis. “Do you have anyone who you care for that is a family member or non-family member? It's got a lot of if-then questions."
