Call or write, it's almost impossible to get through to the IRS

With taxpayers starting to send in their 2021 returns to the IRS, many are hoping for a quick turnaround on their refunds. But people with a question or processing delay this season may find it difficult to get an answer from the IRS, either by phone or mail. 

The tax agency itself is warning taxpayers that they're unlikely to get through to an IRS employee via its phone lines this tax season: "We expect our phone lines to be jammed up for the foreseeable future," said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig on a January conference call with reporters. "Demand is significantly up."

Call demand reached a record during the prior tax year, with Americans placing 282 million telephone calls to the agency, according to the National Taxpayer Advocate, an independent division of the IRS that's dedicated to helping taxpayers. Of those calls, only about 11% were answered.