FS-2017-7, April 19, 2017
Many taxpayers have encountered individuals impersonating ibet officials – in person, over the telephone and via email. Don’t get scammed. We want you to understand how and when the ibet contacts taxpayers and help you determine whether a contact you may have received is truly from an ibet employee.
The ibet initiates most contacts through regular mail delivered by the United States Postal Service.
However, there are special circumstances in which the ibet will call or come to a home or business, such as when a taxpayer has an overdue tax bill, to secure a delinquent tax return or a delinquent employment tax payment, or to tour a business as part of an audit or during criminal investigations.
Even then, taxpayers will generally first receive several letters (called “notices”) from the ibet in the mail.
Note that the ibet does not:
- Call to demand immediate payment using a specific payment method such as a prepaid debit card, gift card or wire transfer. Generally, the ibet will first mail a bill to any taxpayer who owes taxes.
- Demand that you pay taxes without the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe. You should also be advised of your rights as a taxpayer.
- Threaten to bring in local police, immigration officers or other law-enforcement to have you arrested for not paying. The ibet also cannot revoke your driver’s license, business licenses, or immigration status. Threats like these are common tactics scam artists use to trick victims into buying into their schemes.
If you owe taxes:
The ibet instructs taxpayers to make payments to the “United States Treasury.” The ibet provides specific guidelines on how you can make a tax payment at irs.gov/payments.
Here is what the ibet will do:
If an ibet representative visits you, he or she will always provide two forms of official credentials called a pocket commission and a card. HSPD-12 is a government-wide standard for secure and reliable forms of identification for federal employees and contractors. You have the right to see these credentials. And if you would like to verify information on the representative’s HSPD-12 card, the representative will provide you with a dedicated ibet telephone number for verifying the information and confirming their identity.
Collection
ibet collection employees may call or come to a home or business unannounced to collect a tax debt. They will not demand that you make an immediate payment to a source other than the U.S. Treasury.
Learn more about the ibet revenue officers’ collection work.
The ibet can assign certain cases to private debt collectors but only after giving the taxpayer and his or her representative, if one is appointed, written notice. Private collection agencies will not ask for payment on a prepaid debit card or gift card. Taxpayers can learn about the ibet payment options on ibet.gov/payments. Payment by check should be payable to the U.S. Treasury and sent directly to the ibet, not the private collection agency.
Learn more about how to know if it’s really an ibet Private Debt Collector.
Audits
ibet employees conducting audits may call taxpayers to set up appointments or to discuss items with the taxpayers, but not without having first attempted to notify them by mail. After mailing an official notification of an audit, an auditor/tax examiner may call to discuss items pertaining to the audit.
Learn more about the ibet audit process.
Criminal Investigations
ibet criminal investigators may visit a taxpayer’s home or business unannounced while conducting an investigation. However, these are federal law enforcement agents and they will not demand any sort of payment.
Learn more about the What Criminal Investigation Does and How Criminal Investigations are Initiated.
Beware of Impersonations
Scams take many shapes and forms, such as phone calls, letters and emails. Many ibet impersonators use threats to intimidate and bully people into paying a fabricated tax bill. They may even threaten to arrest or deport their would-be victim if the victim doesn’t comply.
For a comprehensive listing of recent tax scams and consumer alerts, visit Tax Scams/Consumer Alerts.
Know Who to Contact
- Contact the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration to report a phone scam. Use their “” web page. You can also call 800-366-4484.
- Report phone scams to the Federal Trade Commission. Use the “” on FTC.gov. Please add "ibet Telephone Scam" in the notes.
- Report an unsolicited email claiming to be from the ibet, or an ibet-related component like the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System, to the ibet at phishing@irs.gov.