Have tax questions? Here are the best (and worst) times to call the IRS or California agents
Getting a hold of a real person to talk about your tax situation takes strategy, patience and a little bit of luck.
A reader reached out to The Bee curious about how to get a hold of a live customer service representative from the California Franchise Tax Board. In the multiple attempts to talk with a real person about their tax refund, the call could not be completed.
The question inspired us to look into the best (and worst) times to call the tax board and the Internal Revenue Service to talk to a real person.
Here’s what we found.
Tips to reach a real person at the California Franchise Tax Board
The wait time to speak with a customer service representative at the California Franchise Tax Board is typically shorter both earlier in the day and mid-week, said spokesman Andrew LePage with the tax board in an email to The Bee.
The best day to call is Wednesday.
The Bee tested the theory, but before calling the state tax agency, we checked its website for live wait times.
As of 8:40 a.m. Wednesday, just 40 minutes after the line opened for the day, the approximate wait time to speak with a live agent was three hours. The tax board made it clear that if you called, you may not get through because “call volumes are extremely high.”
By roughly 9 a.m., Wednesday, the wait time decreased to two hours and 12 minutes. By 9:30 a.m., the wait time dropped to one hour and 29 minutes.
The tax board can be reached from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday at 800-852-5711. If you get a hold of a real person, they can assist with pre-filing, tax return changes and income tax dues.
Most personal income tax filers will press one when prompted, LePage said. Callers have the option to request a callback.
ONLINE CHATS
The tax board has two online chat options. Both generally come with shorter wait times than the customer service line.
Unlike the customer service line, you’re expected to type back and forth with a representative and will get the “answers to some of your questions.” Just be sure you’ve selected the appropriate chat.
The “general chat” will answer common tax inquiries about forms, the tax board website and non-confidential tax questions. The agent won’t help with personal accounts.
Questions about your account including bills and notices, payments, refund status and account balances should be directed to the “MyFTB chat.” You must be logged into your account to chat with a representative.
Tips to reach a real person at the IRS
The idea of being first in the queue when a call center opens does not apply to the Internal Revenue Service. In fact, the earlier you call, the less likely you are to reach a real person at the agency.
Try to call both later in the day and later in the week to increase your chances of speaking with an agent, said spokesman Raphael Tulino with the IRS.
You probably shouldn’t call Mondays and Tuesdays, according to the federal tax agency’s website.
Between January and April, the IRS says wait times are generally 13 minutes. Wait times typically increase another six minutes during the post-tax season, from May to December.
If you have ever called the IRS, you know wait times can last a lot longer — if you even reach a person on the other end.
“If you have to call, by all means, call ... just be prepared you might wait a little bit if you get through at all,” Tulino said during a phone interview with The Bee.
In the 2022 tax filing season, only 10% of calls were picked up by an IRS employee.
The Bee called the IRS customer service line at 800-829-1040 around 10 a.m. Wednesday. An automated recording prompted us to make a selection based on our specific inquiry, but after a request to repeat the options for the second time, the agency discounted the call.
The reason: They were “unable to process” our call. We did not reach a live agent.
In preparation for 2023 tax season, roughly 4,000 people were hired in 2022 to help answer phones. Tulino said to avoid the headache, taxpayers should still check the IRS website first before calling the agency.
The site is equipped with tools to help with payments, tax records, forms, return status and answers to tax questions. You just have to know where to look.
“That’s to save yourself time and the potential frustration if you happen to be waiting on hold for a long time when you could have had it done on the computer,” Tulino said.
The IRS takes calls from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday at 800-829-1040. Before you call, be sure to gather the following information to avoid delays:
▪ Social security numbers and birth dates
▪ Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (for taxpayers without a social security number)
▪ Filing status (single, head of household, married filing joint, or married filing separate)
▪ Prior-year tax return
▪ Tax return you’re calling about
▪ Any correspondence the IRS sent you
This story was originally published March 1, 2023 at 1:02 PM with the headline "Have tax questions? Here are the best (and worst) times to call the IRS or California agents."