The IRS Federal Payment Levy Program

Calling this IRS number isn't going to be useful unless you're in a situation where you owe at least $50,000 in taxes and have been hit with a levy. This number is meant to address payment plans and help with handling tax levies, and as such, it's only accessible by those with such a levy on their account with the IRS. 

When I called this number, I received the standard IRS welcome confirming that I had reached an official IRS number and giving me the options of English or Spanish. After choosing English, I received another standard message giving me an official phone number I could contact if my call was related to COVID-19 stimulus payments or anything of that nature.

As it was not, I was moved forward to those who had received a CP504 notice because of monies owed to the IRS. To confirm I had received such a form, I was asked to input my Social Security number, which is where I hit a block point. To keep this number free for people who genuinely need assistance with tax levies, you cannot progress beyond this point unless you provide your Social Security number. Given that I was not willing to do this with the IRS in a situation where I did not need assistance, I ended the call at this point.

Because of that, it's impossible to give a complete picture of what it's like to call this number. Unlike other IRS numbers, this automated system is quite simple and requires no navigation or menus to access assistance. No assistance is given to help customers figure out what they might need help with; this is a number where you're expected to call for one specific purpose and nothing else.

Given that the wait times with the IRS can be quite extensive, I think this is a good idea to implement. The IRS has been known to have wait times of more than an hour for busy situations, and even though the automated system does provide a call-back option to keep customers from waiting on the phone for long periods, having to keep your phone on you is still an annoyance for many people. Anything that can be done to reduce the wait time is appreciated, especially in a stressful situation like dealing with the IRS.

Obviously, I cannot recommend using this number unless you have a genuine need for assistance with a tax levy. Given that you must enter your Social Security number to proceed past this point, doing so with the IRS when you're not in need of this service is likely a bad idea.