It’s the time of year when many of us are trying to find the status of our refund or the answers to our tax questions. To help you get your tax questions answered faster, we’ve compiled a list of Taxpayer Resources from the IRS website for quick reference.
Where’s My Refund?
To find the status of your refund, be sure to have your social security number, filing status, and your exact refund amount. Then go to https://www.irs.gov/refunds and click “Check My Refund Status” for an update on the processing status of your refund.
How to Pay My Taxes?
To pay your taxes, we recommend letting your CPA (or online tax service) use your banking information to electronically pay your taxes along with your e-filing. For any quarterly estimates or other taxes you need to pay, you can use IRS Direct Pay and click the button “Make A Payment.” Be sure you have the type of payment you’re making (estimated tax, balance due, tax assessment, etc.), tax year, filing status, personal information (name, address, social security number, date of birth), and bank account information.
Once you make a payment, the IRS will give you a receipt with a confirmation number, which you should save for your tax records. You can also use the IRS Direct Pay link to find a past payment you made by clicking the button “Look Up Payment” and entering the confirmation number (from your IRS payment receipt) and your social security number.
Lastly, if you do not have the cash to pay your taxes, you can find information on a payment arrangement here: IRS Payment Plan
Call The IRS
While this is definitely the most frustrating option for getting tax answers due to long wait times, sometimes it is the only way to truly put an issue to rest. Unless you & your CPA have signed & filed Form 2848 “Power of Attorney and Declaration of Representative” they will not be able to call the IRS for you. The following is a list of common phone numbers for your potential questions:
Individual - (800) 829-1040
Businesses - (800) 829-4933
Non-Profit - (877) 829-5500
Be ready to verify your identity when you get ahold of an agent by having your taxpayer identification number (SSN/EIN), date of birth, filing status, and any correspondence sent to you by the IRS or the tax return that you are calling about.
Interactive Tax Assistant Search
The Interactive Tax Assistant (ITA) is a tool that provides answers to several common tax law questions. You can use either the search bar or view the categories listed for help. This option can be much faster than calling, although there is no guarantee you’ll be able to find the answer you are looking for. Here are some common topics this page has information on:
Do I Need to File a Tax Return?
Whom May I Claim as a Dependent?
What is My Filing Status?
Do I Need to Report the Transfer or Rollover of an IRA or Retirement Plan on My Tax Return?
Do I Have Income Subject to Self-Employment Tax?
Is My Residential Rental Income Taxable and/or Are My Expenses Deductible?
How Much Is My Standard Deduction?
Can I Deduct… Student Loan Interest, Gambling Losses, Medical Expenses, Mortgage-Related Expenses, Charitable Contributions, Personal Taxes?
Am I Eligible to Claim the Child and Dependent Care Credit?
Do I Qualify for the Retirement Savings Contributions Credit?
General Current Information
For general tax season updates and information specific to the current tax season, you can go to the Special Filing Season Alerts page and see if your topic has been addressed.
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