Posted by on March 29, 2019
According to the latest Kiplinger Tax Letter, calling the IRS to pose tax law questions isn’t always your best bet. The office of the National Taxpayer Advocate conducted an experiment by calling the agency’s toll-free help line to pose questions on the new tax law changes. It turns out that in many instances, the operator gave incorrect replies to their questions. In fact, their callers did not get any correct responses during their test in its entirety!
Additionally, IRS telephone scams are on the increase this tax season. Watch for calls that come from people who claim to be agency employees; the caller ID will even show that they are calling from the “IRS”. Some of the scammers tell victims that they owe taxes and have to pay using a wire transfer, gift card or prepaid debit card. They are threatened with arrest, foreclosure or deportation if they don’t. Seniors and low-income individuals are especially at risk for these scam calls. Remember that the IRS does not call and ask for personal information. You can report scam calls to Treasury inspectors at 800-366-4484 and the IRS at phishing@irs.gov.
