Tax Law and News Taxpayers can protect themselves from scammers by knowing how the IRS communicates Read the Article Open Share Drawer Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) Written by Intuit Accountants Team Modified Aug 24, 2021 3 min read Tax and accounting professionals are ideally positioned to offer advice on fraud and security, especially when it comes to protecting an identity and client data. If the IRS does call a taxpayer, it should not be a surprise because the agency will generally send a notice or letter first. Understanding how the IRS communicates can help taxpayers protect themselves from scammers who pretend to be from the IRS with the goal of stealing personal information. Here are some facts about how the IRS communicates with taxpayers: The IRS does not normally initiate contact with taxpayers by email. Do not reply to an email from someone who claims to be from the IRS because the IRS email address could be spoofed or fake. Emails from IRS employees will end in irs.gov. The agency does not send text messages or contact people through social media. Fraudsters will impersonate legitimate government agents and agencies on social media, and try to initiate contact with taxpayers. When the IRS needs to contact a taxpayer, the first contact is normally by letter delivered by the U.S. Postal Service. Debt relief firms send unsolicited tax debt relief offers through the mail. Fraudsters will often claim they already notified the taxpayer by U.S. mail. Depending on the situation, IRS employees may first call or visit with a taxpayer. In some instances, the IRS sends a letter or written notice to a taxpayer in advance, but not always. Taxpayers can search IRS notices by visiting Understanding Your IRS Notice or Letter. However, not all IRS notices are searchable on that site and just because someone references an IRS notice in email, phone call, text, or social media, does not mean the request is legitimate. IRS revenue agents or tax compliance officers may call a taxpayer or tax professional after mailing a notice to confirm an appointment or to discuss items for a scheduled audit. The IRS encourages taxpayers to review How to Know it’s Really the IRS Calling or Knocking on Your Door: Collection. Private debt collectors can call taxpayers for the collection of certain outstanding inactive tax liabilities, but only after the taxpayer and their representative have received written notice. Private debt collection should not be confused with debt relief firms who will call, send lien notices via U.S. mail, or email taxpayers with debt relief offers. Taxpayers should contact the IRS regarding filing back taxes properly. IRS revenue officers and agents routinely make unannounced visits to a taxpayer’s home or place of business to discuss taxes owed, delinquent tax returns, or a business falling behind on payroll tax deposits. IRS revenue officers will request payment of taxes owed by the taxpayer. However, taxpayers should remember that payment will never be requested to a source other than the U.S. Treasury. When visited by someone from the IRS, the taxpayers should always ask for credentials. IRS representatives can always provide two forms of official credentials: a pocket commission and a Personal Identity Verification Credential.. Previous Post Taxpayer advocate targets tax return preparers Next Post Asesoramiento fiscal para clientes de alto patrimonio neto, parte 1 Written by Intuit Accountants Team The Intuit® Accountants team provides ProConnect™ Tax, Lacerte® Tax, ProSeries® Tax, and add-on software and services to enable workflow for its customers. Visit us at https://proconnect.intuit.com, or follow us on Twitter @IntuitAccts. More from Intuit Accountants Team Comments are closed. Browse Related Articles Tax Law and News Consultant Spotlight: John Trammell Practice Management Why you should care about green cloud computing Practice Management Consultant spotlight: Steven G. Advisory Services Understanding your client’s relationship with mon… Practice Management Consultant spotlight: Jonathan Lovitt Practice Management ProConnect™ Tax spotlight: Megan Leesley, CPA Tax Law and News Boo! Extension season horror stories Tax Law and News Tax relief for victims of Hurricane Milton Practice Management Tax Season Readiness virtual conference—Nov. 13-14 Practice Management Lacerte® Tax spotlight: Tania Santos, EA