IRS to pay visits to high-income taxpayers who fail to file

If you earn six figures and haven’t been filing your taxes, the IRS may come knocking.

The agency said Wednesday that it is stepping up its efforts to visit high-income taxpayers who failed in prior years to file their tax returns on time.

Revenue officers across the country will increase face-to-face visits with taxpayers who had income of more than $100,000 during a tax year and did not file a return in 2018 or prior years.

“The IRS is committed to fairness in the tax system, and we want to remind people across all income categories that they need to file their taxes,” Paul Mamo, director of collection operations for the IRS small-business and self-employed division said in a statement.

The IRS is increasing the face-to-face visits after hiring additional enforcement personnel.

The agency said the visits are aimed at informing these taxpayers of their obligations and bringing them into compliance. The IRS reminds taxpayers that there options available to those who cannot pay their bill in full, such as payment plans, and reminds taxpayers it is important to file on time, even if they cannot pay. For those who refuse to pay, the IRS can pursue civil and criminal cases.

However, the IRS said not confuse these efforts with a scam. The taxpayers being visited have typically received several letters from the IRS over an extended period of time, so they generally realize they have a tax issue.

While IRS revenue officer visits are unannounced, they will always provide two forms of official credentials. A legitimate officer will help a taxpayer understand and meet their obligation. But they will not make threats nor demand an unusual form of payment. More information on how to identify a legitimate IRS representative and how to report scams can be found on the IRS website at IRS.gov.