Strange Call

[RightOn]

Client called me. He said someone claimed to be working for the IRS left him a phone message. That person said my client has serious tax issue and should call him back.

Does the IRS contact taxpayer in this way? And do they even work on Saturday?

[mastertaxguy]

What do you think as a tax professional?

Whatever you think, proceed.

[RightOn]

What do you think as a tax professional?

Whatever you think, proceed.

Before I proceed, should I verify if the person is legitimate or not? It could well be an identity theft case.

I asked this question here just want to know if anyone whose clients have similar experience.

[DaveO]

First off be sure your client doesn't have a serious tax problem. No one gets a phone call from the IRS without having received several letters each more threatening than the previous one. Do they have a balance due? Have they received a letter? If not, then it is likely a scam. Did the agent give a badge number? Better scammers will give one now but it often doesn't have the right number of digits.

[RightOn]

First off be sure your client doesn't have a serious tax problem. No one gets a phone call from the IRS without having received several letters each more threatening than the previous one. Do they have a balance due? Have they received a letter? If not, then it is likely a scam. Did the agent give a badge number? Better scammers will give one now but it often doesn't have the right number of digits.

Is it a standard policy that the caller has to leave a badge number? I think the person who called my client this morning did not leave one.

[appelman]

I would be very dubious.

You can probably find out if it is a valid IRS phone number. And then YOU might want to call the number and ask them just who they are? You may get an impression from their response.

[RightOn]

You can probably find out if it is a valid IRS phone number. And then YOU might want to call the number and ask them just who they are? You may get an impression from their response.

The number that the person left is a local cell phone number.

And I have just found out from my client that it was not even a live person who called him. When he picked up the phone, it was a recording message which told him he had serious tax issues and had to call the cell phone number. Then it just disconnected. The more I think about it, the more suspicious the call seems to me.

[TXEA]

This is likely a scam. If the client is not receiving delinquency notices and notices of intent to levy, it is very doubtful they will receive a call from the IRS - especially on a Saturday.

It takes a while in the collection process before a local agent will call or show up at the client's office or home.

[Lion]

The IRS does NOT initiate contact with a taxpayer via telephone nor via email. (They will continue correspondence if the taxpayer initiated contact via telephone or email.) Do not respond.

[BHoffman]

Strange call indeed!

[DonB]

It sounds like your situation is fraud. But---Obama critic Dr. Anne Hendershott claims IRS audit started with a phone call.

http://www.catholic.org/news/politics/story.php?id=50966

[Koss]

Telephone Scam

That call is definitely a scam. No automated message from the IRS would ever direct a taxpayer to call a cell phone.

Here's an IRS press release about telephone scams:

http://www.irs.gov/uac/Newsroom/IRS-Warns-of-Pervasive-Telephone-Scam

The story referenced by DonB, in which the professor received a phone call to inform her that she would be audited, is interesting. The entire context suggests that the audit was politically motivated. In any case, it was followed by a bona fide letter from the IRS.

In the link that I provided above, the IRS says that "the first IRS contact with taxpayers on a tax issue is likely to occur via mail."

I can see an ordinary, run-of-the-mill auditor making first contact by phone if the taxpayer failed to respond to a letter containing an appointment. That might happen if the guy moved and never filed a change of address. But it wouldn't be an automated message, and he certainly wouldn't give the guy his cell phone number.

BMK

[Jiggers]

The IRS does NOT initiate contact with a taxpayer via telephone nor via email. (They will continue correspondence if the taxpayer initiated contact via telephone or email.) Do not respond.

A few years back one client received a telephone call from an IRS auditor advising him that his return was selected for an audit and that he would be sending the required letter. He did get the required letter. This was the first time that I had a client called before receiving the audit letter.

A second client received a phone call from the IRS inquiring as to why there was no large payroll tax deposit for the previous month's payroll. Back in the days of taking them to the bank. The response was that the business had closed two months before!

Both calls were from the IRS and no notices were sent in advance.

[RitaB]

Aha

A few years back one client received a telephone call from an IRS auditor advising him that his return was selected for an audit and that he would be sending the required letter. He did get the required letter. This was the first time that I had a client called before receiving the audit letter.

A second client received a phone call from the IRS inquiring as to why there was no large payroll tax deposit for the previous month's payroll. Back in the days of taking them to the bank. The response was that the business had closed two months before!

Both calls were from the IRS and no notices were sent in advance.

I knew there was a reason for the blanks to fill in the telephone number.

[S T]

Oh just another client that received one, her husband deceased, so I am sure they picked that up somewhere, and the widow is in her 80's

thank goodness she has the presence of mind to screen her phone calls, looks like another "overseas" method, as in Nigeria, India, etc. and (no I am not profiling)

Guess the message we have to relate to our clients, is that IRS will never, ever, call the client and/or email, so all clients have to be "wary"

There is a new "Do NOT Call Registry" in some states, so I have encouraged all of my clients to re-initiate or renew - I just accomplished for my own phone lines.

This client that contacted me on a phone message received that , was "3 federal charges against you" and for the deceased" from Officer George at the IRS" REALLY!

Just a heads up - and I just passed on what I could to the Widow Client. as in be judicial in screening phone calls, be judicial in answering or opening emails, register on the do not call list, call the phone company for "blocking" numbers or area codes.

Any other words of wisdom that we can pass on? I have completed as much as I can for myself.

Sandy