The tax deadline would have been Thursday, April 15. The IRS gave it a COVID push until May 17, so you have an extra month or so to get things in order and report to the government what happened with your finances in 2020.
People have more questions than usual this year, because of the stimulus payments, changes in tax codes and a new Presidential administration, but if you’re thinking you’ll call the IRS and have someone be able to help you within this current century, it’s not going to happen!
Their phone lines are lighting up to the tune of 1,500 incoming calls per second! You have a better shot of catching J-Lo or A-Rod on the rebound or finding a bitcoin in the seat cushion of your next Uber ride then getting through to an IRS agent. They have already received over 22 million calls this tax season.
Charles Rettig is the Commissioner of the IRS, and he said earlier this week that on top of the ridiculous amount of phone calls they are receiving, the IRS sent out $1.3 trillion in tax refunds and stimulus payments the past year. And in order to implement the CTC (Child Tax Credits) The IRS needs to hire 300-500 employees immediately.
So, you will not reach someone on the phone. That’s the bottom line.
If you have questions, check the IRS website. You can literally track your tax refund there, find out what happened if you are missing a stimulus check, get tax records from previous year, and if you owe taxes, set up a payment plan.
The IRS says it’s easy to navigate.
If the website can’t help you, you might need a tax pro. Or, consider a family member who might be able to help you and is more experienced in tax issues.
If you are a glutton for punishment, love being on hold, or you have an urgent matter that can only be resolved by talking to an IRS rep on the phone, here are the numbers:
800-829-1044 (Individual)
800-829-4933 (Business)
800-829-4059 (Hearing impaired)
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