New IRS Policy: Initial Taxpayer Contact Must be Via Mail

 Posted on June 01, 2016 in Taxation Law

The IRS has implemented a new policy relating to the means its agents must use to initiate contact with taxpayers. Effective immediately, when an IRS agent contacts you for the first time, that contact must be via a mailed notice.

Although a follow-up contact may be made by telephone (but not any sooner than 14 days after the initial letter is sent), it is required that any taxpayer selected for an examination (also known as an audit) be notified of this fact via mailed letter.

This action has been taken by the IRS, at least in part, due to the proliferation of telephone scams wherein scammers pretending to be IRS agents contact unsuspecting taxpayers and attempt to obtain personal information, financial information, and even payments.

If you receive a telephone call from someone claiming to be an IRS agent, and you have not received a written communication from them before this, you should not provide them with any personal information. Instead, you should contact the IRS directly and inquire as to whether they are attempting to contact you, and if not, report the scammers.

Remember that when you talk with the IRS, anything you tell them could be used as the basis of a finding of further tax liability on your part. In plain words, this means whatever you tell them could end up being used as part of a justification for assessing you with additional taxes.

For this reason, it is always a good idea to retain an experienced tax attorney to assist you in any interactions with the IRS.