AMERICANS still waiting on tax refunds can use a unique method to get past the IRS automated system.
The trick will allow direct conversation with an employee on the other line, forgoing long wait times.
GettyLong waits on the phone with the IRS can be avoided (stock image)[/caption]Calls into the IRS for information are accessible Monday through Friday between 7 am and 7 pm at 1-800-829-1040.
Those who dial in will typically begin by speaking with several automated prompts.
This can take significant time to go through, and the IRS keeps track of average phone wait times.
Data for 2025 shows averages around 12 minutes, with Monday and Tuesday typically longer than the rest of the week.
This is down from a high of 27 minutes in recent years.
Avoiding the wait altogether is still possible with a crucial hack noted by Meredith Dietz at Lifehacker.
Dietz calls it a “1-2-3 hack” that results in taxpayers speaking with a human being at the IRS in around 60 seconds.
STEP BY STEP
It involves a quick few steps to get through the automated system, as there’s really no way around it.
The first is simple — if English is your preferred language, press the number one immediately.
Secondly, before the next prompt even finishes, you’re going to want to select two “for answers about your personal income taxes.”
Last, dial three as soon as you hear the automated system say “for all other questions.”
It’s important to remember that the prompts don’t need to be fully listened to before entering the numbers.
Additionally, no Social Security Number (SSN) is required with the calling hack.
After completing the steps, it may take about five minutes for the connection to be made to the human being in the correct department of the IRS to answer questions.
Are 'responsible tax refunds' on the rise?
A new survey shows taxpayers are more likely to spend their refunds on rent, groceries and other necessities, rather than luxuries.
The poll of 2,000 U.S. taxpayers found nearly two in three (64%) have either already spent their tax refund money or are planning to soon. And all agree their refunds will be spent on necessary purchases.
Commissioned by TaxSlayer and conducted by Talker Research, the two-part study compared Americans’ initial tax refund ambitions pre-Tax Day to their post-Tax Day realities.
Four in five who have already spent their refunds spent it on essentials; top spends include bills like rent (58%), groceries (48%), paying down credit card debt (29%) and home repairs (13%).
Likewise, 72% who haven’t already spent their refunds are planning to invest it all in necessities.
The study revealed that participants received more than $2,300 on average in their refunds this year — higher than the average $1,700 that was predicted when the first study on this topic was conducted in December 2024.
Six in 10 (61%) said their refunds are an important part of their budgeting plans for 2025; an increase from 52% who felt the same about the role refunds played in their 2024 budgeting.
When asked in December, only 22% of Americans believed they would receive more this year than last, and 26% believed they would receive less. When asked how much they actually received, one-third (32%) said they received more this year than last year, while 28% reportedly received less.
The primary reasons people believe they received more this year were: working more (37%), adjustment of deductions or withholdings (31%), and getting a pay raise or promotion (16%).
Meanwhile, participants who received a smaller refund amount believe it was likely due to losing work (29%), moving to a higher tax bracket (21%) and having dependents age out of eligibility (11%).
Sixty-two percent felt happy and surprised by the amount they received; another major increase from last year, when a mere 40% recalled feeling happy with their 2024 tax refund.
The benefit of the hack is simply trimming down the time it would take to go through the prompts, therefore decreasing overall time spent calling the IRS.
Spending time on the phone calling about tax refunds also may not be worth it in the first place.
THINGS TO REMEMBER
There’s an online tracker tool called Where’s My Refund? that taxpayers can easily access through the IRS website.
Several other tools and resources could also be helpful.
If you’re going to call, however, the IRS recommends to have the following information on hand.
SSN and birth dates Tax return filing status (head of household, married joint, etc.) Prior-year tax return details Any previous correspondence from the IRS Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) if you don’t have a SSNTaxpayers who also got an extension on their returns this year can expert refunds later in 2025.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) also came under fire recently for long wait times after a senior was told to hold for over 120 minutes to speak with someone.
Among other “massive” changes like the cuts of around 7,000 employees, the administration is working to reduce those times.
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