IRS stops surprise visits to taxpayers’ homes after decades.
IRS Ends Unannounced Revenue Officer Visits to Taxpayers: Major Change to Enhance Safety and Reduce Anxiety
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) made a significant announcement on Monday, declaring that it would no longer send federal agents to taxpayer homes without prior notice. This decision was made due to safety concerns for both the employees and the taxpayers involved.
“These visits created extra anxiety for taxpayers already wary of potential scam artists,” IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said in a news release. “At the same time, the uncertainty around what IRS employees faced when visiting these homes created stress for them as well.”
Unscheduled visits to households and businesses have been a practice of the IRS since the 1950s, aimed at collecting unpaid taxes and resolving unfiled tax returns. However, due to increased security concerns and the rise of fraudsters posing as IRS agents, the agency has decided to put an end to these in-person visits.
“This is the right thing to do and the right time to end it,” Werfel added.
According to IRS officials, federal tax agents were assaulted hundreds of times a year over 30 years ago, making them the most-attacked federal law enforcement officers. Recognizing the challenges faced by these agents, the IRS believes that eliminating this duty could attract more qualified individuals to join the agency.
The IRS has replaced most unannounced visits with appointment letters to schedule follow-up face-to-face meetings. While taxpayers may no longer see the taxman unexpectedly at their doorstep, limited unscheduled visits may still occur in rare instances involving summonses, subpoenas, or sensitive enforcement activities.
This announcement coincides with the creation of the IRS Strategic Operating Plan, which aims to transform the federal service and double the size of its workforce following the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act last year.
Earlier this year, the IRS also made headlines by announcing its intention to hire agents qualified to carry firearms for the agency’s Criminal Unit.
Candidates for the special agent position, the only job at the IRS where employees are permitted to carry guns, will be expected to combine their “accounting skills with law enforcement skills to investigate financial crimes,” according to a posting on the IRS website.
Adam Andrzejewski, Founder and CEO of Open the Books, a database capturing disclosed government spending, discovered that the IRS spent $35.2 million on guns, ammunition, and military-style equipment in the last 20 years. This includes $10 million in weaponry and gear since 2020. Andrzejewski expressed concern over the increasing militarization of the IRS.
The IRS’s decision also comes after independent journalist Matt Taibbi revealed that an IRS official visited his home on the same day he testified before Congress about the weaponization of the federal government. Taibbi’s tax returns were subsequently rejected over identity theft concerns.
Republican House Judiciary lawmakers celebrated the IRS announcement as a ”BIG WIN!” after Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) raised the issue during a hearing earlier this year.
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