IRS ends unannounced visits by tax collection officials to taxpayers
As part of a larger transformation effort, the Internal Revenue Service announced a major policy change that will end most unannounced visits to taxpayers by the agency's tax collection officials to reduce public confusion and improve overall security measures for taxpayers and employees.
Ending unannounced visits to taxpayers will increase confidence in the IRS's tax administration work and improve the overall security of taxpayers and IRS employees. Fraudsters who harass taxpayers by mail, by phone and in person add to the confusion surrounding home visits by tax collection officers.
What taxpayers can expect:
- In lieu of unannounced visits, tax collection officials will contact taxpayers via an appointment letter, known as a 725-B, and schedule a follow-up meeting.
- Taxpayers whose cases are assigned to a tax collection officer will now be able to schedule in-person meetings at a specific time and location, allowing taxpayers to gather necessary information and documents prior to the meeting to help reach a resolution of their cases. as fast as possible.
- The IRS will update IRS.gov and internal guidance to align with this policy.
There will still be extremely limited situations where unannounced visits will occur:
These rare cases include the service of subpoenas and subpoenas, as well as sensitive compliance activities involving the seizure of assets, especially those at risk of being placed outside the government's reach.
Learn how the IRS communicates with taxpayers
The IRS will never contact taxpayers via text message or social media to request personal or financial information. Under certain temporary policies, the IRS may correspond with taxpayers by email, but only after discussing such contact directly with the taxpayer and obtaining their consent. For more details about these situations, taxpayers should visit sign and send documents electronically (in English)