You can access your federal tax account through a secure login at Once in your account, you can view the amount you owe along with details of your balance, view 18 months of payment history, access Get Transcript, and view key information from your current year tax return.

How do I find out why the IRS took my refund?

Call the FMS at 1-800-304-3107 to find out if your refund was reduced because of an offset. Call the IRS Taxpayer Advocate Service at 1-877-777-4778 (or visit ) if you feel your refund was reduced in error.

How long can the IRS pursue a debt?

10 years
In general, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has 10 years to collect unpaid tax debt. After that, the debt is wiped clean from its books and the IRS writes it off. This is called the 10 Year Statute of Limitations.

What happens if you owe back taxes to the IRS?

You owe back taxes. If you owe back taxes, the IRS will take all your refunds to pay your tax bill, until it’s paid off. The IRS will take your refund even if you’re in a payment plan (called an installment agreement).

When does the IRS take or Hold Your refund?

1 If the IRS thinks you made an error on your return, the IRS can change your refund. 2 If the IRS thinks you claimed erroneous deductions or credits, the IRS can hold your refund. 3 The IRS can freeze your refund if it’s auditing your past tax returns and thinks you’ll owe additional taxes in the audit.

What happens if the IRS questions the accuracy of your tax return?

The IRS is questioning the accuracy of your tax return. The IRS can hold your current-year refund if it thinks you made an error on your current-year return, or if the IRS is auditing you or finds a discrepancy on a filed return from the past. If the IRS thinks you made an error on your return, the IRS can change your refund.

What happens if the IRS freezes your refund?

If you prove to the IRS that you correctly took the deductions and/or credits, the IRS will issue your refund or corrected refund. The IRS can freeze your refund if it’s auditing your past tax returns and thinks you’ll owe additional taxes in the audit.