Imagine you return home after a long day to find an official looking business card from an IRS agent in their door or mailbox. Your initial reaction may be that this must be some kind of prank or scam. Surely the IRS wouldn’t show up at my house unannounced and without warning. But the truth is, this is a fairly common occurrence and you should assume that the visit was authentic.
Most IRS contact comes from regular US Postal Service mail. However, there are circumstances in which the IRS will call or come to a home or business. An IRS agent may also view assets or visit a business during a tax collection or criminal investigations.
You’ll usually get several letters from the IRS in the mail. However, IRS employees can visit taxpayers’ homes or businesses without prior notice if they cannot contact them by letter or telephone.
A tax collector must make initial contact in person. In fact, that’s the law. It means no phone calls. They just show up in person. The reason for this is so that you know they are actual Revenue officers, and not scammers. But another reason, honestly, is to scare you so that you take action.
The rules are a little different for an IRS Revenue Agent. Revenue agents conduct field audits or exams. Typically, if an examiner wants to schedule a visit at your home or office, they will send you a notice before doing so.
If you return home to find the business card of an IRS representative in your door, you should immediately seek legal assistance. You have a right to legal representation, and any direct officer contact with the taxpayer without the taxpayer’s representative also being present can subject the revenue officer to disciplinary action.
Time is of the utmost importance if your case has been given to a revenue officer. If you aren’t represented by an attorney, the IRS revenue officer has the right to visit you at your home or place of business. This officer contact is intended to be intimidating. They’re looking for your immediate attention, but they’ll be demanding a lengthy list of documents. If you ignore these contacts, the officer isn’t going to stop visiting. In fact, expect the visits to increase.
A revenue officer may even issue a subpoena for information concerning your finances with enforceable deadlines. As you can see, we recommend against direct dialogue with a revenue officer.
Levy and Associates is a full service tax resolution, audit defense and accounting firm. We are ready to help with all of your tax resolution and accounting needs. We’re a firm with decades of experience as CPAs, accountants, attorneys, enrolled agents and former IRS revenue officers and we’re ready to put those years of knowledge and expertise to work for you. Call (800) Tax.Levy for help.
Levy & Associates is available for free initial consultations. We’re happy to answer any questions you have about the audit process or address any concerns about your specific situation.
There’s never a good time to be audited, and the time-consuming process will take away from your business or family if you try to face it alone. Let us handle and coordinate communication, so you can return to your daily life.