Tired of waiting on hold with the IRS? There's a lot you can do on their website!

Have you ever tried calling the IRS? It feels like you are on hold forever before you reach a live agent, doesn’t it? If you need to get information or make a payment, try using the IRS website (www.irs.gov) instead. It allows you to do a wide variety of tasks including:

Filing an Extension: Regardless of your income, you can use the IRS’s Free File site to electronically submit your extension. Keep in mind that an extension only extends the time to file. If you owe or believe you will owe with your return, you will want to make a payment with your extension.

Retrieving Your Identity Protection PIN: If you’ve been a victim of identity theft, the IRS will issue you an identity PIN which needs to be included in your return for it to be accepted. 

Viewing Your Account: Through this, you may view:

• Your payoff amount, updated for the current calendar day
• The balance for each tax year for which you owe
• Your payment history
• Key information from your current tax year return as originally filed.

To create an account, have the following available:

• Full Name
• Email
• Birth date
• Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN)
• Tax filing status
• Current address

Making a Payment: You can make or schedule a credit card or direct debit payment to pay a balance due with your return or make an estimated tax payment.

Setting Up an Installment Agreement: If you aren’t able to pay your tax bill in full, you can set up an installment agreement and make monthly payments. This can be done once your return has been accepted by the IRS and in most cases is automatically approved.

Checking Your Refund Status: To do this, have the following available: 

·        Social Security Number

·        Filing Status

·        Exact Refund Amount

You can also access forms and instructions, ask questions using the interactive tax assistance and check the status of your economic impact payment.

Most states allow you to do many of these tasks online as well. Visit the State’s Department of Revenue website to confirm.

One word of caution: Be sure to go the IRS or state site through your browser instead of clicking on a link to be sure you reach the official site. There are lots of scammers out there trying to get your personal information.