New IRS commissioner John Koskinen warned taxpayers in the following video below that if you plan to speak to an IRS representative, expect to wait…a lot. Koskinen said:
“Given our very limited resources, our phone lines are going to be extremely busy this year – and there will frequently be extensive wait times…
While he tempers that statement by saying many tax resources can be found on the IRS.gov website, sometimes speaking with a person is ultimately necessary. Given the recent report that found the IRS only answered 61% of the calls last year, don’t expect this number to climb anytime soon. In fact, the IRS’ budget was cut by over $500 Million this year. In other words, pray that you don’t have a problem (like identity theft) with your tax return that requires a phone call to the IRS.