Need Tax Help From the IRS? It May Soon Be Easier to Get

The agency is launching a new service to help tax filers get answers.

Part of the reason filing a tax return can be so stressful is that it's hard to get an answer when basic tax questions arise. The IRS has long been notoriously understaffed, and the pandemic only made the problem worse.

As such, tax filers have, especially in recent months, been grappling with long wait times to speak to an agent -- if they even get to speak to one at all. But soon, tax filers may have an easier time getting access to live help. And that could, in turn, help them avoid a world of confusion and stress.

Putting tax filers first

The IRS is launching a new Taxpayer Experience Office as part of its ongoing plans to improve upon long-standing customer service issues. The office will focus on all aspects of taxpayer transactions, says the agency.

As a result, taxpayers could soon find it much easier to speak to a live agent or get a call back from one. Taxpayers could also see more multilingual services become available.

This new initiative is coming at a time when the IRS is still operating in catch-up mode after shuttering field offices in 2020 due to the pandemic. In fact, the agency still has a backlog of millions of unprocessed tax returns from the 2020 tax year it needs to go through.

The IRS has long argued it needs additional funding to improve the customer service experience for taxpayers. It's unclear as to where the money is coming from to fund the Taxpayer Experience Office, but either way, it's a positive development as the 2022 tax-filing deadline gets closer.

Do you need help with your taxes?

Even though IRS agents can help you navigate a number of tax-filing issues, if you need actual tax advice, an accountant or tax preparer is a better source. If you're not sure how to approach this year's tax return, you may want to consider hiring a professional to help you -- especially if you're hoping to score as large a refund as possible.

While IRS agents can answer basic questions about the tax-filing process, they can't necessarily tell you what strategies to use to eke out tax savings. But that's something a professional can help with. And while you may not relish the idea of having to pay for tax help, the reality is that the right professional could end up more than making up for their fees by helping you legally pay less money to the IRS.

To be clear, if you have questions about how to submit a tax return or when to expect your refund to hit your bank account, you can always call the IRS and ask. But if you're looking for customized tax advice that saves you money, then hiring a professional is really your best bet. This especially holds true if your tax situation recently took a turn for the more complicated, such as if you became self-employed or started a business that comes with a whole new set of tax-filing requirements.