How to call the IRS from abroad

What number do I call for the IRS from abroad?

Call +1 267 941 1000. The IRS lists it on its international contact page for individuals and businesses outside the US. It is answered Monday to Friday, 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern time. The IRS marks it "not toll-free", so your phone company bills it as a normal call to the US. The page lists no overseas toll-free line.

Eastern time is 5 hours behind London in winter and 10.5 hours behind India. The window from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET still covers part of the working day almost everywhere. If you are in Asia, the evening ET hours land in your morning.

How do I dial the IRS from the UK, India, Mexico or the Philippines?

Dial your country's exit code, then 1, then 267 941 1000. From the UK, India, Mexico and the Philippines the exit code is 00, so the full string is 00 1 267 941 1000. On a mobile, dial +1 267 941 1000 instead. Do not add a leading 0.

From Australia the exit code is 0011 ^[2], so dial 0011 1 267 941 1000. Other countries are on the 1-800 from abroad page.

Does the IRS 1-800 number work from abroad?

Do not count on it. On its international page the IRS offers 800-829-1040 only to residents of Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. Everyone else abroad gets the 267 number. US toll-free lines often refuse calls from outside the US, and AT&T says those that connect are billed as international calls anyway. The 267 line is built for you.

• IRS: toll-free 800-829-1040 is for Puerto Rico and USVI residents ^[1].
• AT&T: 800 and 888 numbers often won't connect over Wi-Fi Calling from abroad ^[4].
• The number's owner picks the area it accepts calls from ^[5].

Why US toll-free lines fail abroad, and what the error sounds like, is covered in toll-free not working.

Can I call the IRS collect from abroad?

No collect option is listed. The IRS international contact page gives the 267 number, a fax line, live chat and mail addresses, and says nothing about collect or operator calls. Plan to pay for the call yourself. Banks are different: Bank of America and Chase take collect calls, as shown on the customer service from abroad hub.

Because you pay by the minute and IRS hold times can be long, how you place the call matters more than usual. The next section compares the options.

What does a call to the IRS cost from abroad?

It costs whatever your phone charges for a call to a US number. On a US plan with Wi-Fi Calling, that is often nothing: T-Mobile and AT&T say Wi-Fi calls to US numbers carry no charge abroad. Cellular roaming is the expensive route. T-Mobile bills it at US$0.50 a minute ^[6]. An internet calling app sits in between.

If you have no US phone plan, TwinPhone keeps its own IRS calling notes. Know its limits: the IRS agent sees a shared number that cannot call you back ^[10], and you still pay for hold time. The ranking above compares all the options with one method.

Can I reach the IRS from abroad without calling?

Yes. The IRS runs live chat for international taxpayers, English only, weekdays 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern time. For account questions you need an active individual Online Account first. You can also fax account issues to +1 681 247 3101 or write to the International Accounts addresses. In-person service at US foreign posts is no longer available.

• Live chat: weekdays, English only, Online Account needed for account help ^[1].
• Mail for individuals: Internal Revenue Service, International Accounts, Philadelphia, PA 19255-0725 ^[1].
• Mail for businesses: Internal Revenue Service, International Accounts, Ogden, UT 84201-0038 ^[1].
• No in-person service at foreign posts ^[1].

How do I tell a real IRS call from a scam?

The IRS says it normally contacts you the first time by mail delivered by the US Postal Service. A call that demands payment now is a warning sign on the IRS's own list. Scammers fake caller ID, so an IRS-looking number proves nothing. Hang up and call +1 267 941 1000 yourself, using the number from irs.gov.

• First contact is normally by mail; "demands payment now" is a scam sign ^[12].
• Caller ID can show any name or number ^[13].
• Payment by gift card, crypto or wire transfer marks a scam ^[13].
• Call back only on the number from the official website ^[14].

General dialing help for any US number is on the home page.