There is now an increase in IRS physical visits for those taxpayers who are considered high-income (those receiving over $100,000 in a tax year), who not only have not filed tax returns in the past consistently, nor have they actually been making good on their installment agreements should they have been prepared to satisfy their obligations. Paul Mamo, Director of Collection Operations, Small Business/Self-Employed Division, states “These visits focusing on high-income taxpayers will be taking place across the country. We want to ensure taxpayers know their options to get right with their taxes and avoid bigger issues later.”
So many people fail to realize the severity of this situation, and may consider this just another tax scam, but if you hadn’t been receiving numerous notices for failure to follow through on your obligations and chosen to ignore them, assumed that they were taken care of by your tax preparer but wasn’t sure if you had actually reviewed and signed them, or were just too busy to be worried about them, then that’s not a plausible excuse as to why you may consider getting that visit from a Revenue Officer.
There’s every excuse in the book that these people have heard, and whether or not you can afford to pay them or not, that doesn’t refute the fact that you need to address the situation and focus on making sure that your obligations are being met, even on a minimal basis. It’s something that will not be going away, just like when I have had clients try to ignore my bills after I’ve prepared their tax return, which can lead to my own bad debt court filings, as well as notification to the IRS to be removed as their paid preparer. Yes it may seem extreme in 2020, but you do expect your invoices to be paid when you bill a client, and the IRS expects the same.
What can you do before you get a visit from a Revenue Officer? Contact the Service, speak with a representative regarding your situation, and determine what options are available to you so that you can avoid the worst-case scenarios. This may include avoid civil enforcements, credit report filings, as well as criminal cases against you.
In the worst-case scenario that you do receive an unannounced visit:
– they will provide you with two forms of official credentials to include a serial number and photo so be sure to review both
– the officer will explain the entire situation regarding the liabilities and obligations, as well as the consequences of failing to comply with the law
– there will NEVER be a request for funds such as gift cards, threats given, etc.
– you should have been in receipt of numerous notices before an actual visit
– cash will never be accepted, and any payments will be made payable to the United States Treasury ONLY
Dwayne J. Briscoe