The IRS recently announced that it will be making collection calls to collect on delinquent taxes, something they maintained for years would never happen. Not surprisingly, scammers are making the most of the opportunity. According to the IRS, losses have mounted to more than $20,000,000, as a result of the IRS Imposter Scam.
If you receive a call from someone claiming to be from the IRS, consider these important tips to determine if the call is real or a scam.
- There are only four authorized firms nationwide, which include:
- CBE Group of Cedar Falls, Iowa;
- Conserve of Fairport, N.Y.;
- Performant of Livermore, Calif.; and
- Pioneer of Horseheads, N.Y.
- If you owe taxes, only one of these firms will contact you.
- You likely know who you are. You will not receive a call if you pay your taxes on-time and regularly. If you are delinquent in tax payments, you will receive multiple written notifications from the IRS, before your case is turned over to one of the listed debt collection firms.
- The IRS will send a letter to notify you that your case has been turned over to one of these companies. The collection company will also send you a letter regarding their authorization to call on behalf of the IRS.
- The company will not ask for payment to be made to them, nor will they ask for payment on a Money Card.
- These companies will not threaten you.
If you are still unsure if you have unpaid tax debts from previous years, you can go to IRS.gov and check your account balance. If the account balance says zero that means nothing is due, and you should not be receiving calls from the IRS or one of these collection companies.
Click here to learn more on the IRS Imposter Scam.
If you are in financial crisis and considering filing for bankruptcy, contact an experienced Miami bankruptcy attorney who can advise you of all your options. As an experienced CPA as well as a proven bankruptcy lawyer, Timothy Kingcade knows how to help clients take full advantage of the bankruptcy laws to protect their assets and get successful results. Since 1996 Kingcade & Garcia, P.A. has been helping people from all walks of life build a better tomorrow. Our attorneys’ help thousands of people every year take advantage of their rights under bankruptcy protection to restart, rebuild and recover. The day you hire our firm, we will contact your creditors to stop the harassment. You can also find useful consumer information on the Kingcade & Garcia website at www.miamibankruptcy.com.