DO not get scammed. Scammers may impersonate in person, through phone call, or e-mail, and pretend themselves as IRS agent or representative.
Remember that the IRS:
• Will first mail a bill if you owe any taxes using United States Postal Service.
• Will not call to demand immediate payment using a specific payment method such as a prepaid debit card, gift card or wire transfer.
• Directs to make payment to the United States Treasury and gives guidelines on how you can make payment at irs.gov/payments.
• Will give you the opportunity to question and appeal the amount owed.
• Will not threaten that you will be arrested, bring in immigration officers, or other law-enforcement for not paying.
• Cannot revoke your driver’s license, business licenses, or immigration status.
• At all times will provide two forms of official credentials 1) pocket commission, and 2) HSPD-12 card, if an IRS representative visits you. HSPD-12 is a government-wide standard for secure and reliable forms of identification for Federal employees and contractors. It is your right to see these credentials.
• May call or visits to a home or business unannounced to collect a tax debt after sending several IRS notices.
• Will assign certain cases to private debt collectors after a written notice sent to the taxpayer and representative. The private collection agencies will not ask for payment on a prepaid debit card or gift card. These are the four selected Private Collection Agencies: CBE, P.O. Box 2217Waterloo, IA 50704 1-800-910-5837 / ConServe, P.O. Box 307 Fairport, NY 14450-0307 1-844-853-4875 / Performant, P.O. Box 9045 Pleasanton CA 94566-9045 1-844-807-9367 / Pioneer, PO Box 500 Horseheads, NY 14845 1-800-448-3531. To report misconduct of private collection agency, you may: 1) call TIGTA hotline at 800-366-4484 or visit www.tigta.gov ; or 2) write to: Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, Hotline, Post Office Box 589, Ben Franklin Station, Washington, DC 20044-0589
• Will not assign accounts to private collection agencies if the taxpayer is: 1) deceased, 2) under the age of 18, 3) in designated combat zones, 4) victims of tax-related identity theft, 5) currently under examination, litigation, criminal investigation or levy, 6) subject to pending or active offers in compromise, 7) subject to an installment agreement, 8) subject to a right of appeal, 9) classified as innocent spouse cases, and 10) in presidentially declared disaster areas and requesting relief from collection.
• Will notify first by mail of an audit. Only then the auditor may call discuss items related to the audit.
• Criminal investigators might visit your home or business unannounced while conducting an investigation. But they will not demand any payment as federal law enforcement agents.
Who to Contact to Report a Scam
• Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration to report a phone scam. Use their “IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting” web page. You can also call 800-366-4484.
• Federal Trade Commission to report a phone scam. Use the “FTC Complaint Assistant” on FTC.gov.
• IRS at [email protected] to report an unsolicited email claiming to be from the IRS, or an IRS-related component like the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System.
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Disclaimer: Any accounting, business or tax advice contained in this communication is neither intended as a thorough, in-depth analysis of specific issues, nor a substitute for a formal opinion, nor is it sufficient to avoid tax-related penalties.
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Al-os & Associates Accountancy Corporation provides accounting and tax services to individuals, corporations, LLCs and business entities. The Firm has a niche in defending taxpayers audited by the IRS and other governmental agencies.
