IRS ending most unannounced visits to taxpayers

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced Monday it is ending the decades-long practice of unannounced revenue officer visits to taxpayers, as it looks to decrease taxpayer confusion and “enhance safety measures.”

According to the IRS, revenue officers typically visit households and businesses to assist taxpayers in resolving their account balances and collect unpaid taxes. With the exception of a “few unique circumstances,” the IRS said these unannounced visits will end effective immediately and taxpayers will instead receive a mailed letter to schedule appointments.  

The IRS said the “rare” unannounced visits will include summonses, subpoenas and “sensitive enforcement activities,” which include the seizure of assets — noting these situations usually number less than a few hundred each year.

“We are taking a fresh look at how the IRS operates to better serve taxpayers and the nation, and making this change is a common-sense step,” said IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel in a statement. “Changing this long-standing procedure will increase confidence in our tax administration work and improve overall safety for taxpayers and IRS employees.” 

Werfel pointed to recent security concerns, including a rise in scammers posing as IRS agents who cause confusion among taxpayers and law enforcement.  

“These visits created extra anxiety for taxpayers already wary of potential scam artists,” Werfel said. “At the same time, the uncertainty around what the IRS employees faced when visiting these homes created stress for them as well.”

“We have the tools we need to successfully collect revenue without adding stress with unannounced visits,” Werfel continued. “The only losers with this change in policy are scammers posing as the IRS.”

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The change follows a series of efforts to “transform” IRS operations after the Inflation Reduction Act was passed last year, which gave the IRS $80 billion in funding and brought significant changes to the country’s tax code.

In a July fact sheet, the IRS said it currently has around 2,300 revenue officers working across the nation.

The agency said in April it plans to use some of the billions to restore its depleted workforce, including hiring over 7,000 service representatives and 15,000 auditors this year and thousands more in the coming years. When the Treasury Department requested the $80 billion in 2021, it predicted a total of around 87,000 new hires.