IRS Announces End to Unannounced Visits by Revenue Officers

Sign, Harlingen, Texas. 1939. Photographer Lee Russell

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The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has announced that it will end most unannounced visits by revenue officers to taxpayers. This change is effective immediately and will apply to all taxpayers, regardless of their income level.

This policy change follows the IRS's old policy that requires Revenue Officers to have an in-person initial call to the taxpayers. IRS Revenue Officers primarily focus on collections, including issuing liens and levies. IRS Revenue Officers are typically involved in working significant tax debts with a median debt of $110,000.

The IRS says that the change is being made to improve safety for both taxpayers and revenue officers. In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of scam artists posing as IRS agents. This has led to confusion and anxiety for taxpayers, who often do not know whether a visit from a revenue officer is legitimate.

The new policy will require revenue officers to schedule appointments with taxpayers in advance. This will give taxpayers time to prepare for the meeting and will help to ensure that they are not being scammed.

The IRS says that there will be a few rare exceptions to the new policy. For example, revenue officers may still make unannounced visits in cases where there is a risk of assets being hidden or destroyed.

What does this mean for taxpayers?

If you receive a letter from the IRS scheduling a meeting with a revenue officer, you can be sure that the visit is legitimate. You should not ignore the letter or try to reschedule the meeting.

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