Be wary of of increasing claimed IRS Agent phone calls

Vandeventer Black law partner and tax law practitioner Geoff Hemphill recently relayed a personal experience that others are also increasing seeing involving scam phone calls from persons claiming to be an "IRS Agent" and claiming that the individual owes back taxes. The fake IRS Agent then says the call is the last chance to pay the back taxes before the IRS files a lawsuit.

Geoff notes that the IRS does not make such calls, and that legitimate IRS contact comes through official written correspondence, with accurate reference to the individual's mailing address, giving notice of the assessed liability, appeal rights, and warnings of impending enforcement. So, the chances are high that any phone call from anyone purporting to be an IRS agent is a scam.

If you receive legitimate correspondence from the IRS it is important to promptly address it, and to seek legal counsel in appropriate circumstances to help you evaluate the assessed liability, to understand your rights, and to develop responsive strategies. Geoff in the example of the type of experienced tax attorney that can provide that type of legal counsel. But there is no need to lose sleep respecting such phony "IRS Agent" phone scams and it is important to not succumb to providing personal information or monies to those types of scammers.