844-875-3420 is a real IRS phone number. It’s printed on Notice CP40, the letter the IRS sends when it hands an unpaid tax balance to a private collection agency. The line on the notice reads: “If you need assistance, call us at 844-875-3420.”
That number reaches the IRS, not the collection agency. The agency’s name, address and phone number are printed in a separate section of the same notice.
Updated September 25, 2026 · Checked against real notices our clients received
IRS phone number lookup
844-875-3420
✓ Real IRS number
- Who answers
- The IRS.
- Printed on
- Notice CP40, “Your overdue tax account has been assigned to a private collection agency.”
- Use it to
- Ask the IRS about the notice or your account, including whether the assignment is real.
- Not the same as
- The collection agency’s number. The IRS uses three agencies: CBE Group (800-910-5837), Coast Professional (888-928-0510) and ConServe (844-853-4875).
- Cost
- Free. It’s a toll-free number.
What a CP40 means
Federal law requires the IRS to hand certain unpaid balances to private collection agencies (Internal Revenue Code section 6306). The law calls them inactive tax receivables. In plain English, that’s a balance the IRS has stopped working itself. A debt qualifies when:
- the IRS pulled it from active collection for lack of staff, or because it couldn’t find you,
- more than two years have passed since the tax was assessed and no IRS employee has been assigned to it, or
- an IRS employee was assigned but more than a year went by without any contact about collecting it.
So a CP40 isn’t a sign that your situation got worse. It usually means your account sat untouched, and now a contractor will be the one reaching out about it.
What happens after the CP40
- The IRS mails the CP40. It names your assigned agency and includes a taxpayer authentication number.
- The agency mails its own letter. The IRS says the agency won’t call you before sending it, and the letter carries the same authentication number.
- You and the agency verify each other. On the CP40 we reviewed, you give the agency the first five digits of your authentication number, and the agency gives you the next five.
- The agency works out payment. It can set up a plan to pay in full within seven years, or before the IRS’s time to collect runs out. It can’t charge a fee to set one up.
When to call 844-875-3420 instead of the agency
- You think the balance is wrong, or you already paid it.
- You want to confirm the assignment is real before you talk to anyone.
- An exclusion applies to you. The IRS can’t assign the accounts of people who have died, are under 18, are in a designated combat zone, or are victims of tax-related identity theft. Accounts with an active installment agreement, a pending offer in compromise or an innocent spouse claim are excluded too, and so are people who receive SSDI or SSI, or whose adjusted gross income is at or below 200% of the poverty level.
When it makes sense to go back to the IRS
Private collection agencies set up payment plans. That’s most of what they can do. They can’t accept or reject an offer in compromise, and they can’t mark your account currently not collectible, the IRS’s hardship status that pauses collection. If you need either one, or you want to dispute the balance, you’ll want your account back at the IRS.
The IRS says you have to ask the agency for that in writing. The Taxpayer Advocate Service has a sample letter on its Notice CP40 page.
How to pay, if you decide to
Pay the IRS, never the agency. Use IRS.gov/payments, or mail a check or money order made out to the “United States Treasury” with your name, Social Security number and the tax year. The CP40 we reviewed adds: “We’ll never ask you to pay using any form of pre-paid card or online gift card.”
Signs the caller isn’t real
- You never got a CP40 or a letter from the agency, but someone is calling about IRS debt.
- They want you to pay them directly, or to pay with a gift card, prepaid debit card or wire transfer.
- They can’t give you the second half of your taxpayer authentication number.
- They threaten arrest, deportation or an immediate seizure. Private agencies can’t levy or file liens at all.
You can also check your IRS account transcript. The IRS says an assigned account shows code 971, “Collection referred to a private debt collection agency.” Report impostors to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 800-366-4484 or through TIGTA’s complaint page.
Calling the IRS about a collection account takes time
If you plan to call the IRS yourself, budget for a wait. The National Taxpayer Advocate’s mid-year report shows how two of the IRS’s phone lines held up during the 2026 filing season, through April 18, 2026.
Source: IRS, IR-2026-79, National Taxpayer Advocate mid-year report to Congress (June 24, 2026).
Want someone else to handle it?
We’ll deal with the IRS side for you
With your power of attorney on file, we can call the IRS, confirm what you actually owe, and tell you whether a plan through the agency is your best move or whether your account belongs back at the IRS.
844-875-3420 FAQs
Is 844-875-3420 a real IRS number?
Yes. It's printed on IRS Notice CP40 in the line “If you need assistance, call us at 844-875-3420.” It reaches the IRS, not a collection agency.
Is 844-875-3420 the collection agency?
No. The CP40 lists your assigned agency's phone number separately. The IRS currently uses CBE Group (800-910-5837), Coast Professional (888-928-0510) and ConServe (844-853-4875).
Can I refuse to work with the private collection agency?
Yes. The IRS says that if you don't want to work with the agency, you must send the agency a written request. Your account then goes back to the IRS.
Can a private collection agency garnish my wages or levy my bank account?
No. Private collection agencies can't take any enforcement action, including levies and federal tax liens. The IRS keeps those powers.
How do I pay a tax balance that was sent to a collection agency?
Pay the IRS directly at IRS.gov/payments, or mail a check or money order payable to the United States Treasury. A real private collection agency won't ask you to pay it directly or to use gift cards or prepaid debit cards.
Why was my account sent to a private collection agency?
Federal law requires the IRS to assign certain inactive balances to private agencies. Usually that means the IRS stopped actively working your account, or more than two years passed after assessment without it being assigned to an IRS employee.
“I interacted with 4 other providers before finding Choice Tax Relief. All the others were offering a "let's get your money up front, then see how this all plays out for you" approach.”
Other numbers from IRS and state tax notices
Sources
- Redacted Notice CP40 received by one of our clients (PDF), dated December 2, 2024.
- IRS, Private debt collection (current agencies, addresses and phone numbers).
- IRS, Private debt collection FAQs.
- 26 U.S. Code § 6306, Qualified tax collection contracts.
- IRS Publication 4518, What You Can Expect When the IRS Assigns Your Account to a Private Collection Agency.
- Taxpayer Advocate Service, Notice CP40.
- IRS, IR-2026-79 (National Taxpayer Advocate mid-year report).
Choice Tax Relief is a private tax resolution firm. We are not the IRS, the U.S. Treasury, or any government agency, and we are not affiliated with any private collection agency. You can call the IRS yourself at no charge. This page is general information, not legal or tax advice for your situation.