The IRS last month enlisted the help of four debt collection companies to seek overdue taxes owed to the federal government.
The tax-collection agency warned people to be aware of possible tax-collection scams, such as con artists posing as IRS officials seeking back payments. Before the debt collection companies start contacting taxpayers, the IRS will attempt to reach them by mail.
“The IRS is taking steps throughout this effort to ensure that the private collection firms work responsibly and respect taxpayer rights,” IRS Commissioner John Koskinen said in a statement. “The IRS also urges taxpayers to be on the lookout for scammers who might use those program as a cover to trick people.”
The four private debt collectors working for the IRS are: CBE Group of Cedar Falls, Iowa; Conserve of Fairport, New York; Performant of Livermore, California; and Pioneer of Horseheads, New York. The taxpayer’s account will be only assigned to one of these firms, never to all four, the IRS said.
The IRS in 2016 estimated that about $458 billion in taxes don’t get collected every year. The agency has tried to narrow the so-called tax gap with educational programs designed to encourage voluntary compliance with the law, according to its website.
Taxpayers need to be aware that the IRS doesn’t call people to demand immediate payment, threaten to immediately contact local police or law-enforcement groups to have the taxpayer arrested nor ask for credit and debit numbers over the phone.
“Unexpected and threatening calls out of the blue from someone saying they’re representing the IRS to collect a tax debt is a warning sign people should watch out for,” Koskinen said.