Calling the IRS? Actual Wait Times May Be Much Longer Than Reported!

If you called the IRS during the recent tax season, how long did you wait to speak to a representative? The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) says that though the IRS reports an average wait time of three minutes, many taxpayers wait longer. According to TIGTA, during the 2024 tax season, the IRS reported calls to 33 Accounts Management phone lines but excluded at least 27 other lines. The average wait times for those other lines was 17 to 19 minutes. TIGTA recommended that the IRS include all lines in its average wait times, but the agency rejected the suggestion. However, the IRS is working on a new metric to measure taxpayer satisfaction when calling.