Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/298497
F OR MOST OF us, nothing gets the heart pumping like being con- tacted by the Internal Revenue Service. There is seldom a time, however, that the IRS will contact a tax- payer via telephone. Recently, there has been a significant amount of phone scam activity all over the country. Scammers call and identify themselves as being with the IRS or a government attorney and threaten taxpayers with imminent prosecution unless a sum of money is wire transferred or put on a credit card immediately. The caller is typically bellig- erent and threatening. Scammers are very sophisticated and can sometimes spoof the IRS toll free number on caller ID and may even know the last four digits of your Social Security number. The IRS website advises that If you receive such a call, report it to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 1-800-366-4484. Also, the IRS does not contact tax- payers via e-mail, nor do they request financial or personal information in this manner. Never open any attach- ments or links purportedly coming from the IRS via e-mail or any other type of electronic communication. If you receive such a message, forward it to phishing@irs.gov. Most communication with taxpayers is conducted via mail correspondence. If you receive a letter from the IRS, don't ignore it. Most inquiries are easily resolved. With matching of documents for various types of income, mortgage interest deductions, HSA distributions and such, it's not unusual for problems to arise. A payer may report income in your personal Social Security number that is actually paid to a corporation that is employing you. Or, you may receive a mortgage interest 1098 form with your identifying number and file separately from your spouse so her Social Security number doesn't link up with a 1098 in IRS records. In most instances, a letter with sup- porting documentation will suffice. While the inquiry normally gives you 30 days to respond, don't expect to receive an answer for several weeks. Sometimes you will receive another let- ter before an answer to your response. Don't ignore a second request for information or a bill because the IRS may not have received your first reply. Don't get frustrated with the process; it's just a part of our big government. Just remember that if the IRS "calls," it's not legitimate! Diane Burge is a CPA and Principal of Weidrick Livesay & Company in Akron. ■ IRS Calls … By Diane M. Burge, CPA When the 2 0 1 4 M AY/J U N E ■ M D N E W S . CO M ■ MD NEWS Cleveland/Akron/Canton | 3 1