Did you receive a threatening call or notice from the "IRS"?

Please remember that the IRS will never:

Call demanding immediate payment. All calls demanding payment are preceded by written notification to the address on file (usually the address on your most recently filed tax return.

Demand payment without allowing the taxpayer to question or appeal the amount owed.
Require the taxpayer pay their taxes a certain way. For example, demand taxpayers use a prepaid debit card.
Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
Threaten to contact local police or similar agencies to arrest the taxpayer for non-payment of taxes.
Threaten legal action such as a lawsuit.

Other tactics that these scammers use is:

Scammers use fake names and IRS badge numbers. They generally use common names and surnames to identify themselves.

Scammers may be able to recite the last four digits of a victim’s Social Security number.

Scammers spoof the IRS toll-free number on caller ID to make it appear that it’s the IRS calling.

Scammers sometimes send bogus IRS emails to some victims to support their bogus calls.

Victims hear background noise of other calls being conducted to mimic a call site.

After threatening victims with jail time or driver’s license revocation, scammers hang up and others soon call back pretending to be from the local police or DMV, and the caller ID supports their claim.

If you receive a call that seems like it might be a scam,

If you know you owe taxes or you think you might owe taxes, call the IRS at 1.800.829.1040. The IRS employees at that line can help you with a payment issue, if there really is such an issue.

If you know you don’t owe taxes or have no reason to think that you owe any taxes (for example, you’ve never received a bill or the caller made some bogus threats as described above), then call and report the incident to U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) at 1.800.366.4484.

You can file a complaint using the FTC Complaint Assistant; choose “Other” and then “Imposter Scams.” If the complaint involves someone impersonating the IRS, include the words “IRS Telephone Scam” in the notes.

If you have any questions, feel free to email them to me at mpelberg@moshepelbergcpa.com

Moshe Pelberg is a CPA in private practice in Northwest Baltimore.