IRS Announces Major Policy Change for Unannounced Visits

M.C. Millman

In an effort "to reduce public confusion and enhance overall safety measures for taxpayers and employees," the IRS has announced that it will end most unannounced visits to taxpayers. 

The IRS has 2,300 Revenue Officers whose duties involve knocking on taxpayers' doors to collect unpaid taxes and unfiled tax returns. They are not to be confused with the agents that work with criminal matters for the  IRS-Criminal Investigations (CI). The CI has around 3,000 employees, 70% of which are special agents that carry firearms. The IRS's recent announcement does not pertain to these agents. 

The IRS said that unannounced visits will be replaced with mailed letters to schedule meetings. The letter is known as a 725-B letter, and it allows taxpayers to schedule face-to-face meetings at a set place and time to resolve their cases.

"We are taking a fresh look at how the IRS operates to better serve taxpayers and the nation." IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said in a press release. "Changing this long-standing procedure will increase confidence in our tax administration work and improve overall safety for taxpayers and IRS employees."

The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) demonstrated its support for the policy change. 

"NTEU welcomes the IRS decision to halt unannounced visits by IRS Field Collection employees," said Tony Reardon, National President of the NTEU. "The safety of IRS employees is of paramount importance and this decision will help protect those whose jobs have only grown more dangerous in recent years because of false, inflammatory rhetoric about the agency and its workforce."

Some scam artists have taken advantage of the IRS policies, posing as IRS agents, creating even more confusion for 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 IRS employees faced when visiting these homes created stress for them as well. This is the right thing to do and the right time to end it."

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