IRS To Taxpayers: Don't Call Us...

Okay, that's not exactly what they said. But more or less.

Citing heavy call volume and "limited resources" on the run up to the Presidents Day holiday, the IRS has issued a plea call reminder that there are other alternatives available to help taxpayers. Specifically, they want you click over to their web site. At irs.gov, you can check the status of your refund, request a copy of your tax transcript and generally poke around for tax information.

If you're looking for information about paying a tax bill, you can do that online, too. To pay a bill in full, click on over to find out how to pay using cash, check, debit or credit card, and electronic funds transfer (sorry, no Bitcoin… yet). If you need time to pay, you can set up a monthly payment plan online using the Online Payment Agreement tool. You generally qualify if you owe $50,000 or less in combined individual income tax, penalties and interest. If you have a serious repayment issue, the Offer in Compromise Pre-Qualifier can help you determine if you qualify to pay less than the amount owed; I'm not crazy about this latest tool but putting it out there since it exists (better, in my opinion to consult with a tax professional on this one).

You can also find free tax return help without making a call to IRS. Find a local Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site by clicking here or calling 1.800.906.9887. You can find a Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) site operated by the AARP Foundation's Tax Aide Program by clicking here or calling 1.888.227.7669.

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The IRS has a nifty smartphone app, IRS2Go, which allows you to access most of this information remotely.

If you're looking for answers and you don't have the skills, access or inclination to click through the site, you can call TeleTax at 1.800.829.4477 for prerecorded tax information on a variety of tax topics.

If you really want to talk to someone in person, you can still call the IRS at 1.800.829.1040 (this is the number for general assistance, not for refund updates) but you should be prepared to wait. And wait.

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