Here’s what you should know in order to avoid falling for the fake trap set by potential scammers who claim they are from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS):
- When requesting information, the IRS would never initiate contact with taxpayers by email, text messages or social media channels.
- Enforcement action is not used as a threat by the IRS; this includes lawsuits or imprisonment.
- The IRS does not aggressively approach the conversation on the phone, whereas scammers are typically persistent and malicious regarding your IRS tax problems.
- Scammers demand payment via debit or wire transfer, but the IRS would mail a bill to notify taxpayers who owe taxes.
- The IRS will not bring in local police, immigration officers or other law-enforcement to have you arrested.
- In the event of an IRS visit, two forms of identification must be provided by the representative to prove their credentials.
- Payments must only be sent to United States Treasury.
Make a constant effort to protect yourself by protecting your data. It is also important to know that your rights are as follows, detailed by the IRS here.
- Be Informed
- Quality Service
- Pay No More than the Correct Amount of Tax
- Challenge the IRS’s Position and Be Heard
- Appeal an IRS Decision in an Independent Forum
- Finality
- Privacy
- Confidentiality
- Retain Representation
- Fair and Just Tax System
We urge you to be on the lookout and address confusions with IRS officials, as always the Tax Defense Partners is here to help!