Paul Toepel
People impersonating IRS officials have been contacting many of our clients.
Usually, this is over the telephone, but sometimes in person. The best way to protect yourself against these scams is to understand how and when the IRS contacts taxpayers.
The IRS initiates most contacts through regular mail delivered by the U.S. Postal Service.
There are some special circumstances in which the IRS will call or come to your home. These can include an overdue tax bill, collect on employment taxes, or as part of an ongoing audit. But… even then, a taxpayer generally will receive several written notices first from the IRS, which are delivered by mail.
THE IRS DOES NOT:
- Call and demand immediate payment using a specific payment method, like a credit card or wire transfer.
- Demand payment of taxes without giving you the opportunity to question the amount they say you owe.
- Threaten you with police action or other law enforcement to have you arrested for not paying.
Scam artists trick their victims with commonly used threats like these. But scams can take many shapes and forms. The IRS provides a comprehensive listing of tax scams at Tax Scams/Consumer Alerts.
Here is an example from that site:
IRS-Impersonation Telephone Scams
A sophisticated phone scam targeting taxpayers, including recent immigrants, has been making the rounds throughout the country. Callers claim to be IRS employees, using fake names and bogus IRS identification badge numbers. They may know a lot about their targets, and they usually alter the caller ID to make it look like the IRS is calling.
Victims are told they owe money to the IRS and it must be paid promptly through a gift card or wire transfer. Victims may be threatened with arrest, deportation or suspension of a business or driver’s license. In many cases, the caller becomes hostile and insulting. Victims may be told they have a refund due to try to trick them into sharing private information. If the phone isn’t answered, the scammers often leave an urgent callback request.
Avoid email, phishing and malware schemes
Scammers send emails, which trick taxpayers into thinking the messages are official communications from the IRS or others in the tax industry. As part of phishing schemes, scammers sometimes ask taxpayers about a wide-range of topics, such as refunds, filing status, confirming personal information, ordering transcripts and verifying personal identification numbers.
The IRS does not use email, text messages or social media to discuss tax debts or refunds with taxpayers. Additional information about tax scams is available on IRS social media sites like YouTube and Tumblr.
Paul Toepel is a CPA who has lived in Las Sendas for more than 17 years. His firm, Toepel Company PC, is a full-service, Mesa-based CPA firm offering a variety of services for more than 30 years.
These services include tax preparation and representation, accounting, fraud prevention and QuickBooks setup and support. Their mission is, “To provide exceptional service, knowledge and experience, all while making you and your business successful.”
For more information, call (480) 833-8300. Toepel Company PC is located at 2500 S. Power Road, Suite 129.