Call from IRS

[oceanlovin'ea]

I had a new client come last week. He had not filed for several years. Some lady told him that he only had to file every 3 years. And he BELIEVED her!

Anyway he got a call from a person with IRS at 11PM one night. The man said that he had not filed for several years. That one of the companies he had worked for had a crooked bookkeeper who had not filed payroll during the time he worked there. He told the man he owed around $19,000. He said he would send something to him.

I could not believe that IRS would be calling people at that time of the night. I didn't think they could do that.

Anyway, I got POA. He got transcripts in the mail for all the years, showing when he had filed and when he hadn't filed. I called Practioner Priority Line Friday because the POA I faxed last Friday still wasn't posted. I faxed it to them and then they faxed me income for those years. I filed 2007, 2008 and 2009 last week. Only 2 of the other years he even worked and income wasn't that high. So there is no way he owes $19,000.

I am still shocked at the time of night they called him. Anyone else heard of any strange things like this.

Linda

[David1980]

There's a lot of fraud where someone claims to be the IRS.

[thomtax]

It smells like some type of scam to me, possibly trying to get confidential information out of him for identity theft or some other mischief. I have serious doubts it was the real IRS. They usually send certified mail correspondence.

LT

[AZ-Tax]

Every year my clients believe they recieved emails from the IRS

And I tell them again and again the IRS will NOT correspond via email or phone so I too believe that was scam.

[Cheryl48]

You only have to file every three years

I hear this all of the time. I think it's part of the misinformation passed around in the workplace. When I tell clients that it isn't true, they look at me like I'm clueless.

C

[taxea]

did he send money and what address did he send it to? IRS should have a record of the phone call from them. Did the hotline verify that he had been called? Did he get the guy's name and return phone number?

[oceanlovin'ea]

didn't send anything

No, he didn't send anything. The man said he would send him letters. But he didn't get anything. Then after he had been to see me, he got transcripts for the years he hadn't filed.

What hotline? Is there a way to verify that IRS actually called him? That would be great.

Hopefully he didn't give out his social security number or any other private information. He is a very trusting man. His sister-in-law says he will believe whatever someone tells him. That is why they brought him to me. They knew they could trust me.

Linda

[powerage]

could be a scam, but...

The IRS will contact you by phone, if they have a question about your return, and they have your permission. Knowing the IRS, if you said this 1 time on a return, they will call that number to try and contact you.