This number appears to have once been used to handle overpayments from the COVID-19 stimulus, as the Internal Revenue Service has previously mailed it out to people who faced an issue with overpayments of the stimulus on their tax returns.
Now that the stimulus payments have passed, this number is mainly used as an automated system to assist with frequently asked questions. However, it doesn't appear to be very effective at understanding what users are asking. When I dialed this number, I was connected to an automated system and greeted with confirmation that I had reached the IRS and whether I'd like to continue in English or Spanish.
Once I selected English, the system said that if I still had questions about stimulus payments, I could dial a different number or e-mail the IRS at a specific address. If neither applied to me, I could remain on the line and ask for information regarding a particular question.
I asked how I could set up a payment plan, and the system told me that I could set up my payment plan by visiting the IRS website. The system further explained that setting up a payment plan through the website would save me both time and money, as I wouldn't be charged extra fees for using the website compared to working with a person.
The system then told me I could ask it to repeat the information or ask another question. I attempted to ask it a question about how to determine my balance, but the system took three tries before it finally recognized that I was asking another question. In the second instance, I asked it to "ask another question" in an attempt to get the system to actually understand what I was saying. Still, it didn't recognize anything until I could finally re-word the question and get it to pick up what I was saying.
When it did, it told me that I would receive a form from the IRS if I had a balance due, and if I did, I could then call the IRS or contact them through their website to get information. It then said I could ask another question or ask it to repeat itself, and I opted to end the call there.
Overall, I thought this was a decent starting point for people to get information about working with the IRS, but it could be improved a fair amount. The system was very inconsistent at recognizing whether I was asking a question, and it didn't provide a menu of any kind for FAQ assistance. I'd recommend using this number only if you know what you're asking and only need basic help. Beyond that, this number won't provide a lot of assistance.