The past few years have seen an increase in scammers who call, mail or email pretending to be from the IRS or another tax agency. Of course, if you are ever unsure whether an communication about taxes is real, you can contact our office and we will help you figure it out.

Here are a few other things to keep in mind to avoid falling prey to a fake:

TELEPHONE CALLS
Phone scams have become increasingly common; perhaps you have received an alarming, threatening call demanding immediate payment of an overdue tax balance. These are not genuine. Keep in mind:

  • You will typically receive a written notice of tax due before you are called (as long as IRS has your current address!).
  • The IRS will not threaten you over the phone, or demand your credit card information immediately. They will never offer to accept payment by gift card.
  • The IRS already knows your SSN and will not ask you to confirm it.
  • You have the right to hang up and call IRS to confirm whether you actually have a balance due: call 1-800-829-1040. There is no need to speak to the suspicious caller, or call them back.