When you have a federal tax debt, you will usually receive a notice from the IRS through snail mail. The IRS does not email, text, or contact you via telephone or social media.
The IRS has an online tool on its website that lets people check the status of their federal tax accounts. The tool will update interest and penalties every 24 hours, although it can take up to three weeks for a payment to post.
Going to the IRS’s online account page allows taxpayers to file, pay, or monitor their tax payments and view amounts they owe, pay online or set up an online payment agreement, access tax records, and review the past 18 months of payment history. You can try calling the IRS at (800) 829-1040, but it can often be difficult to get somebody on the phone.
The IRS typically allows 10 years from the date of the first notification to complete collection of back taxes and three years from a filing date to notify people of taxes they owe. Other signs that you may owe the IRS include your wages being garnished, receiving a property lien, or not receiving a tax refund.