July 24, 23

NEWS / IRS ends controversial “unannounced visit” policy

The US Internal Revenue Services has announced that it will be ending its decades-long policy of unannounced visits to taxpayers by agency revenue officers. The decision was made in order to reduce public confusion and enhance overall safety measures for both taxpayers and IRS employees. Unarmed officers previously visited individual households and businesses in an effort to collect unpaid taxes and file unfiled tax returns. As of now, the IRS will be scheduling visits by sending out letters. There will still be some extremely limited situations in which the IRS will make unannounced visits, such as in cases of summonses and subpoenas, as well as the seizure of assets, particularly those deemed to be at risk of being placed beyond the reach of the government. These cases make up a small percentage of current unannounced visits. "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 stated, “Changing this long-standing procedure will increase confidence in our tax administration work and improve overall safety for taxpayers and IRS employees." Werfel went on to say that the changes were part of a larger effort to transform the agency’s operations following the passage of last year’s Inflation Reduction Act, backed by the Administration of President Joe Biden, and the creation of the IRS Strategic Operating Plan in April this year. "These visits created extra anxiety for taxpayers already wary of potential scam artists," Werfel said. "At the same time, the uncertainty around what IRS employees faced when visiting these homes created stress for them as well. This is the right thing to do and the right time to end it."