The IRS is making people aware of a recent tax bill scam. This scam involves sending people fake IRS tax notices that say the tax payer owes more money due to the Affordable Care Act. They clearly chose this component of the scam because many people received notices that they owed additional money due to the Affordable Care Act. In fact I completed a number of amended returns this year due to the ACA.
The fax notices are designed to look like the IRS CP2000 notices. View an image of a real CP2000 notice at www.irs.gov/pub/notices/cp2000_english.pdf. A version of the scam has these fake CP2000 notices being sent as an attachment to your email.
Here are a few red flags that indicate it is a scam:
- contact via social media
- contact via email
- request payment by gift card, prepaid debit or credit, or a wire transfer
- threaten to have the cops at your house and arrest you immediately
- threaten to sue you for the “debt”
I heard one phone call this year where they threatened to sue and I want to point out that the IRS doesn’t need to sue you. If you owe taxes based on a filing or SFR they file at tax lien on you. If you don’t respond they then move to levy, which is where they take the money out of your bank account. They also can garnish your wages too and any and all future refunds or federal payments like social security benefits.
If you are in a position where you owe the IRS don’t go at it alone. Hire me 561-247-5876 or another tax pro that you trust that has some experience resolving cases of tax debt.
The IRS is requesting people to forward any scam IRS notices to phishing@irs.gov
Sincerely,
