The Internal Revenue Service announced Monday that it will "end most" unannounced visits by agency revenue officers to taxpayers' homes as part of an effort to address "public confusion and enhance overall safety measures for taxpayers and employees."
The IRS says the change "reverses a decades-long practice by IRS revenue officers, the unarmed agency employees whose duties include visiting households and businesses to help taxpayers resolve their account balances by collecting unpaid taxes and unfiled tax returns."
"Effective immediately, unannounced visits will end except in a few unique circumstances and will be replaced with mailed letters to schedule meetings," the IRS said in a statement.
"We are taking a fresh look at how the IRS operates to better serve taxpayers and the nation, and making this change is a common-sense step," IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said. "Changing this long-standing procedure will increase confidence in our tax administration work and improve overall safety for taxpayers and IRS employees."
The IRS, citing Werfel, said that "there have been increased security concerns in recent years on multiple fronts."
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"The growth in scam artists bombarding taxpayers has increased confusion about home visits by IRS revenue officers," it added. "Sometimes scam artists appear at the door posing as IRS agents, creating confusion for not just the taxpayers living there but local law-enforcement."
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
