IRS request bank info

[Gretel]

I contacted the Practitioner Hotline to get Wage- and Income Transcripts, and this is the second time now that the representative is asking for banking info for the client in question.

Am I obligated to give that info? I guess, I just can say that I don't know.

[ChEAr$]

I contacted the Practitioner Hotline to get Wage- and Income Transcripts, and this is the second time now that the representative is asking for banking info for the client in question.

Am I obligated to give that info? I guess, I just can say that I don't know.

Now I'm reminded of Hamlet who said "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark."

Why on earth would a PPO employee request bank info? it's there job to help
with taxpayer/client problems, not to act as collection agents.

I'm sure we would all be interested to know the rationale. Please ask next time.

But if faced with such a question, I'd have to refuse.

[Gretel]

Now I'm reminded of Hamlet who said "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark."

Why on earth would a PPO employee request bank info? it's there job to help
with taxpayer/client problems, not to act as collection agents.

I'm sure we would all be interested to know the rationale. Please ask next time.

But if faced with such a question, I'd have to refuse.

Oh, the rationale is easy. My client owes for last tax year but has not received the collection letter yet so we could act. Still, I agree with you. They are not the collection agents.

[S T]

E Services

Gretel,
Have you signed on for E-Services?
You can ususally retrieve the Wage and Income Statements through E-Services with POA, then you won't be asked questions

Sandy

[Gretel]

Thanks for the tip, Sandy. I am signed up and have used the system. Some days with better experience than others. However, the info I needed was too far back. One year in question is 1997 but even the IRS didn't have any info available.

[S T]

Just had one

Gretel

Just had a t/p like that and I submitted request through E- Services (actually 2001 or 2002), then E Services emailed me when they retrieved info and posted transcript info under my E-Service Mailbox for retrieval

Maybe 1997 is too far back to do that ???
or maybe because your t/p owes $$ and IRS would like a point of contact for collection
Sandy

[BOB W]

"I don't know" is a good answer...............
"I'll have to check with my client if you really need it"...........
"Is this really necessary"............

????????????????????????

[geekgirldany]

I have a client that owes back payroll taxes. Everytime I called the Prac. Hotline they would ask for his bank information. I would tell them I did not know or they would need to talk to the taxpayer to get this information. One time the person I was talking to asked me
"did you not just say you do his bookkeeping".
""yes"
"so you know his bank information"
"no"
"but you are the bookkeeper. you should know this information"
"I should but I don't".

I mean really if they wanted the bank information then collections knows how to get it.

[Snaggletooth]

More Serious Disclosure

This is a much worse privacy violation than those prohibited by the IRS in section 7216.

I believe I would tell them that §7216 forbids me to release this information without the written consent of the taxpayer.

I suspect the reason they want this is so they can levy their bank account if they so desire. They can find out through other channels, but if we tell them that will save them the trouble of using those other channels.

[ChEAr$]

I agree about the privacy issue. Every year we have to furnish clients a privacy
statement and one of those lines says that I won't share your confidential
information with anybody.

The IRS person at PPS (I still call it the hotline though) should be informed of
the Graham Bleach Lyley, act whatever... forbids such.