How to Know If You Owe the IRS: 5 Ways to Find Out
Many people find themselves living in constant uncertainty regarding their tax situation.
This sometimes results in them falling out of the tax system, not filing their required returns, for years on end simply because they don’t know if they owe the IRS and if they do, how much they owe the IRS.
Thankfully, there are five surefire ways to know if you owe the IRS. Here they are.
Note: If it so happens that you owe the IRS a significant amount of money, be sure to read our article “How to Fight the IRS”!
Table of Contents
1. Call the IRS collections department.
Obviously, one way to know if you owe the IRS is to ask someone who works there.
The individuals who would best know your current balance with the IRS are those who work in the IRS’s collections department, also known as the Automated Collection System (ACS).
The direct line to IRS ACS is 800-829-7650.
Wait times, however, can be long.
That said, if you finally do connect to an IRS ACS agent, they will likely ask you for the following information to verify that you are who you claim to be:
- Your full legal name, including middle initial
- Your Social Security number
- Your address from your last-filed tax return (this is the “last-known address” that the IRS has on record for you)
- Your date of birth
If you’re having trouble connecting to IRS due to long wait times, consider giving us a call at 866-800-0829 — we offer free consultations (including a phone call to the IRS using our direct line for CPAs and tax attorneys) in which we determine if and how much you presently owe the IRS.
2. Log on to irs.gov.
Another way to know if you owe the IRS is to check your online account at irs.gov.
If you haven’t created one yet, go to https://www.irs.gov/payments/online-account-for-individuals and follow the instructions.
Once you’ve set up your IRS account online, you will be able to view your balances due by year as well as access other IRS records, such as your account transcripts and wage and income transcripts.
3. Request your account transcripts over the phone.
For every tax year, the IRS keeps record of all balance due, penalty, interest, payment, and filing activity in the form of an IRS account transcript.
At the top of your account transcript for any given year, you are able to see your balance for that year.
For example, here is an excerpt from the account transcript of a taxpayer who didn’t file his tax returns for a long time, and the IRS filed a substitute tax return — known as a substitute for return (SFR) — for him.
Although you can obtain your account transcripts via your irs.gov account, you can also request them via paper mail by calling 800-908-9946.
To get a transcript mailed to you, you need your mailing address from your latest return.
It will arrive in five to ten calendar days at the address the IRS has on file for you.
4. Check your mail.
If you owe the IRS, they are legally required under Internal Revenue Code Section 7524 to send you an annual, written reminder of your balance due with them.
Now, if you’ve moved since you last file a tax return with the IRS, and you haven’t filed a change of address with them, it’s likely that these annual reminder notices are going to an old address.
5. Wait to see if they come after you.
This obviously isn’t recommend, but one way to find out if you owe the IRS is wait to see if they come after you.
The COVID-19 pandemic caused delays in the IRS’s systems that are still felt today in 2025, so it may take them some time to pursue you, but they will eventually.
Obviously, since every day you wait to deal with your tax issue, additional penalties and interest accrue against you, it is in your best interest to deal with your tax issues as quickly as possible rather than waiting for the IRS to find you.
Author:
Logan Allec, CPA, Founder and Owner
Logan Allec has been serving taxpayers as a CPA for over 14 years. After leaving his role at a "Big 4" firm, he started Choice Tax Relief to help everyday Americans who have found themselves behind on their taxes. He also educates thousands of people daily about tax relief on his YouTube channel. In addition to his CPA license, Logan also has a Master's Degree in Taxation from the University of Southern California (USC). He lives with his wife and children in the Los Angeles area. Learn more about Logan here.
