The IRS publishes one phone route for taxpayers outside the United States: +1 267-941-1000, the International Taxpayer Service Call Center. The IRS marks it not toll-free and lists it Monday-Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Eastern time. Dial buttons and the full number table live on the IRS from abroad page.
Which number matches the task
Confirm every number on the IRS page for your issue before you call. The rows below were on those pages on 2026-09-09.
| Issue | Number | Official source |
|---|---|---|
| Individual or business account questions from outside the US | Contact my local office internationally | |
| Taxpayer Advocate Service for taxpayers living abroad | Contact my local office internationally | |
| e-file issue for a tax professional or software provider, not account related | Contact my local office internationally | |
| Residents of the US, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands | 800-829-1040 | Let us help you |
The IRS marks all three international numbers not toll-free. It also lists a fax, 681-247-3101, for international tax account issues only, and an email address for the Taxpayer Advocate Service, tas.international@irs.gov.
What the international line handles
The IRS says the International Taxpayer Service Call Center takes individual and business account questions, and gives overpayment status, balances owed, and correspondence received about international tax forms as its examples. It also says some questions are too complex for its telephone assistors and points those to its complex tax topics pages.
The IRS states that taxpayer service formerly offered at the foreign posts of duty is no longer available, and gives mailing addresses instead: International Accounts in Philadelphia for individuals, and International Accounts in Ogden for businesses.
Opening hours
The International Taxpayer Service Call Center runs Monday-Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Eastern time (US and Canada). Eastern is EDT (UTC-4) or EST (UTC-5), so the local equivalent shifts when US daylight saving starts and ends. Check the current offset rather than memorizing a local window. IRS offices are closed on US federal holidays.
Two related windows use different clocks. The e-Help office in Austin runs Monday-Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Central time. The international live chat runs Monday-Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Eastern, and is unavailable Saturday and Sunday.
Before you call
The IRS runs an international live chat in English for people with an international tax issue. For account-related questions there, you need an active IRS Online Account for individuals.
The IRS also asks you not to call about a return until a set period has passed:
- ›Three weeks after you e-filed
- ›Six weeks after you mailed a paper return
- ›Sixteen weeks for an amended return, or sooner if Where's My Amended Return? tells you to call
Calling earlier than that does not speed anything up.
What to have ready
The IRS says its representatives must verify your identity before discussing your information. For individuals it asks for:
- ›Social Security number and date of birth, or ITIN if you have no SSN
- ›Filing status
- ›Your prior-year tax return
- ›The tax return you are calling about
- ›Any correspondence the IRS sent you
Calling on someone else's behalf needs the taxpayer's name and SSN or ITIN, the return in question, and verbal or written authorization such as Form 8821 or Form 2848.
One IRS note matters for overseas callers who filed electronically: you cannot get your adjusted gross income over the phone. Find it in your online account or on last year's return before you dial.
Wait times, as the IRS publishes them
The IRS publishes averages rather than a live queue. In the January-April filing season it gives about 8 minutes, and from May to December about 15 minutes, adding that some phone lines run longer. Those are general help-line figures, not a measured wait for the international line.
It says waits are longer on Mondays and Tuesdays, over Presidents Day weekend, and around the April filing deadline, and shorter Wednesday through Friday.
One caveat for anyone abroad: the IRS offers a call-back option during periods of high call volume on most toll-free topics. The international line is not toll-free, so do not plan around getting a call back.
Why the domestic toll-free line is the wrong number from abroad
The IRS lists 800-829-1040 for individuals at 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time, and separately tells residents of Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands they can use it toll-free. For overseas callers it points to its International Services page instead.
US toll-free numbers are provisioned for callers inside the country and generally will not connect from a foreign network. We have not placed a test call to that number from a foreign carrier, and the IRS does not describe what happens if you try. The reliable route from abroad is the number the IRS publishes for that purpose.
The same applies to the IRS interpretation lines, 800-829-1040 for Spanish and 833-553-9895 for other languages. Both are US toll-free numbers.
What it costs
+1 267-941-1000 is an ordinary US geographic number, so a call from abroad is paid on whatever route you use. The IRS does not offer a free international option.
| Method | Good for | Watch-outs |
|---|---|---|
| A plan that already includes cheap US calls | Anyone who has one | Toll-free US numbers may still fail |
| International mobile call to +1 | Short calls when no better option exists | Cost varies by plan; holds get expensive |
| Browser-to-phone | Occasional calls without a US-inclusive plan | Needs internet; check the live rate on rates |
Listed WorldDial rates checked on 13 September 2026: $0.03/min to US landlines, in USD. Check the current rate for your number on rates before adding credit. If your own plan is already cheap to US numbers, use it.
Related patterns: government offices from abroad and SSA from abroad.
¿Necesitas llamar a un teléfono de verdad?
Abre WorldDial, introduce el número y consulta la tarifa en vivo antes de marcar. Paga por uso desde el navegador. La otra persona no necesita una app.
Pago por uso • Sin suscripción • El destinatario no necesita WorldDial
FAQs
What is the IRS international phone number?
+1 267-941-1000, the International Taxpayer Service Call Center, Monday-Friday 6:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m. Eastern time. The IRS marks it not toll-free.
Can the IRS be called toll-free from abroad?
The IRS does not publish an international toll-free line. It lists 800-829-1040 for residents of the US, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands, and sends overseas callers to its International Services page.
What documents are required before calling?
Your SSN and date of birth, or ITIN if you have no SSN, your filing status, your prior-year return, the return you are calling about, and any IRS correspondence. You cannot get your adjusted gross income over the phone.
Can I use live chat instead?
The IRS runs an international live chat in English, Monday-Friday 6:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m. Eastern, unavailable at weekends. Account-related help there requires an active IRS Online Account for individuals.