IRS Answered Fewer Than 10 Million of 48 Million Tax-Season Calls
Updated
Updated · USA TODAY · Jun 27
IRS Answered Fewer Than 10 Million of 48 Million Tax-Season Calls
3 articles · Updated · USA TODAY · Jun 27
Summary
Fewer than 10 million of 48 million calls to the IRS reached a customer service agent during the 2026 tax season, according to a new National Taxpayer Advocate report to Congress.
Average hold time hit 14 minutes across the agency and ran as high as 45 minutes on some lines, while many callers were never connected at all.
149 test calls placed by the Center for Taxpayer Rights in March and April frequently ended in “courtesy disconnects,” and waits topped 30 minutes on five of eight lines when calls were not cut off.
The weak phone performance marks a decline from last year’s 25% answer rate and 8-minute average wait, even as the IRS still processed nearly 99% of individual returns during the filing season.