IRS Achieved 88% Level of Service, Cut Call Wait Times to 3 Minutes, Answered 1 Million More Calls Than Filing Season 2023, Saved Taxpayers 1.4 Million Hours of Hold Time
31 Million Taxpayer Views of New and Improved “Where’s My Refund” Tool
More than 170,000 additional taxpayers served at Taxpayer Assistance Centers
WASHINGTON – Thanks to resources from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, the IRS has built on the progress made during Filing Season 2023, delivering world class service in Filing Season 2024. The IRS achieved an 88% Level of Service on the phones, exceeding Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen’s goal of 85%. The agency also cut phone wait times to three minutes, answered more than 1 million more calls through live assistance, and saved taxpayers more than 1.4 million hours of hold time. Taxpayers have benefitted from the new and improved “Where’s My Refund” tool 31 million times, and the IRS has served more than 170,000 additional taxpayers in-person at Taxpayer Assistance Centers than last Filing Season. This marks a vast improvement over 2022, when, due to a lack of resources, the IRS hit just 15% Level of Service to taxpayers and millions of refunds were delayed for months.
IRS Provides Better Phone Service
- IRS Achieves 88% Level of Service; Exceeds 85% Level of Service Goal: The IRS has achieved an 88% Level of Service on the agency’s main taxpayer helpline during Filing Season 2024, exceeding its goal of 85%. Phone service has improved while call volume is up around 13% compared to 2023. During Filing Season 2022-prior to receiving Inflation Reduction Act resources-the IRS hit just 15% Level of Service.
- IRS Achieves 3-Minute Call Wait Time; Exceeds 5-Minute Call Wait-Time Goal: The IRS has achieved average call wait times of three minutes, exceeding its goal of call wait times of five minutes or less on the agency’s main taxpayer helpline during filing season. During Filing Season 2022-prior to receiving Inflation Reduction Act resources-call wait times were 28 minutes.
- IRS Answers More Than 1 Million More Calls Than Filing Season 2023, Nearly 3 Million More Calls Than Filing Season 2022: The IRS has answered about 17% or more than 1 million more calls through April 6 than in Filing Season 2023. Phone service has improved even though call volume is up around 13% compared to 2023. The IRS has answered nearly 3 million more calls compared to Filing Season 2022-prior to receiving Inflation Reduction Act resources.
- IRS Saves Taxpayers 1.4 Million Hours of Hold Times Through Expanded Call Back Availability: The IRS has saved taxpayers 1.4 million hours of hold time by expanding its call back option so it is available to 97% of eligible taxpayers at the beginning of the call if the projected wait time is longer than 15 minutes.
IRS Provides Better In-Person Service
- IRS Provides More Than 11,000 Additional Hours of In-Person Service: The IRS has currently opened or reopened 54 Taxpayer Assistance Centers using Inflation Reduction Act funding. The IRS has achieved more than 11,000 additional hours of service at Taxpayer Assistance Centers, exceeding its goal of providing more than 8,500 hours additional hours of service. Overall, the IRS has served more than 170,000 additional taxpayers in-person at Taxpayer Assistance Centers than last Filing Season.
- IRS Increases In-Person Tax Preparation Support by more than 200,000 Returns: The IRS increased the number of taxpayers receiving free tax preparation through volunteers by around 200,000 returns, exceeding its goal of 50,000.
Taxpayers View New and Improved “Where’s My Refund” 31 Million Times
- This Filing Season, taxpayers benefitted from important updates to the “Where’s My Refund?” tool, which is the most popular IRS customer service tool. Taxpayers have used “Where’s My Refund” 275 million times this Filing Season, with around 31 million views of the new and improved status updates as of April 6.