Tax FAQ Series – Calling the IRS to Request a Change – Isn’t It Simple?

What about contacting the IRS – can’t you just call them and let them know the change?

In theory, yes. But it’s a very complex process. In order to contact the IRS, we have to have your consent (Form 2848 or Form 8821) and they have to have received it and approved it. So in order to simply contact them on your behalf, there are approvals and forms required. This process typically takes 10 business days to complete.

Then we have to actually get through to the IRS – a process that also involves substantial hold times to reach a person to discuss the issue with. And often, that initial contact won’t be the right person to address the issue. A typical call with the IRS will involve 2+ hours of time and often results in multiple follow-ups to make sure the issue is ultimately resolved. In many cases there are forms required that have to be re-submitted or created.

So the reality is that dealing with the IRS is never simple. Because we do it regularly, we’ve gotten more efficient at doing so. But it’s still a complicated and time-consuming process no matter what the situation is.