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Is the IRS Really Calling? How to Tell and What to Do
Updated: Oct 6
Short answer: All State Tax Resolution, led by Sabih Shafi, an IRS Enrolled Agent, helps people sort real IRS contact from scams. The IRS normally contacts you first by mail, not by phone, text, email or social media. If a caller hurries you and demands payment now, treat it as a scam until you have checked.
Key takeaways
The IRS normally makes first contact by U.S. mail. A surprise call, text, email or direct message is a red flag.
The IRS never calls to demand payment now, threaten arrest, or ask for a gift card or prepaid debit card.
Real calls and visits happen, but usually after several letters. Revenue officers now schedule meetings by letter.
Three private collection agencies work for the IRS. You get two letters before they call.
If the contact is real and you owe, answer by the date on the notice.
Facts on this page were checked against IRS.gov on October 6, 2026.
How the IRS really makes first contact
The IRS says it normally contacts you the first time by mail delivered by the U.S. Postal Service. Some letters come from private collection agencies, covered below. The IRS sends email and text messages only when you opt in, and a social media direct message is never from the IRS.
A call, email or text is not from the IRS if it is unexpected, rushes you, threatens you, asks for personal or financial information or demands payment now.
When the IRS does call or visit
The IRS or a private collection agency may call you about your account. That is the exception, and it usually follows letters.
Audits: the agent contacts you by mail first. After that, the agent may call to discuss the audit.
Collection: a revenue officer mails Letter 725-B or calls you to set up a visit. To confirm the appointment, call the phone number on your letter. The officer mails several notices first, and visits if multiple attempts to reach you go unanswered.
Criminal investigation: special agents may visit or call unannounced. They do not demand payment.
Unannounced visits are rare, and the IRS generally sends a letter before it visits. In 2023 the IRS ended most unannounced visits by revenue officers. Instead, they use an appointment letter, known as a 725-B, to schedule a meeting. The IRS said rare unannounced visits still occur for serving summonses and subpoenas and for sensitive enforcement activity involving seizure of assets.
The IRS says only four types of IRS employees may visit your home or business. Revenue officers, revenue agents and fuel inspectors carry an IRS-issued credential (a pocket commission) and an HSPD-12 card. You can ask to see both. If the person does not show these IDs, or you are not sure, call the number on the card provided by the officer or agent.
What the IRS will never do
The IRS says it does none of the following:
It never calls to demand payment now, threaten arrest, or tell you about a refund.
It never calls for immediate payment by a specific method, such as a gift card, a prepaid debit card or a payment over social media.
It never asks for or accepts gift cards as payment for a tax bill.
It never threatens to bring in law enforcement or immigration officers to have you arrested for not paying.
Scammers may ask for payment by wire transfer, gift cards or cryptocurrency. Impersonators want you to pay "now or else," and they do not let you question or appeal the amount. If you do owe and pay a revenue officer by check, money order or certified funds, make it payable to United States Treasury.
The private collection agencies
The law requires the IRS to use private agencies to collect certain overdue, inactive tax debts. On the IRS page checked today, three agencies are listed: CBE Group, Coast Professional and ConServe.
You should get two letters before an agency contacts you. First, the IRS sends Notice CP40 to say your account was assigned. Then the agency sends its own first letter. Both contain a taxpayer authentication number. You and the caller exchange portions of it to confirm each other's identity. Keep it in a safe place.
You can also get a transcript to verify the assignment. The IRS says the agency will not threaten you.
How to check a letter or a call
Find the CP or LTR number in the right corner of the letter. Search that number or topic in the IRS notices and letters tool on IRS.gov.
Sign in to your IRS online account to view digital notices and balances owed by tax year.
If the letter does not appear in your search or looks suspicious, the IRS tells you to call 800-829-1040 and follow the representative's instructions.
If you get a suspicious call, record the number and hang up. Do not call back a number the caller gave.
If the contact is real and you owe
Review the notice carefully, keep it and, if the IRS asks you to respond, act by the due date. If you disagree, follow the instructions in the notice to dispute it, and reply by the due date to protect your appeal rights.
The first notice is a letter that explains the balance due and demands payment in full. Even if you cannot pay everything, pay by the due date. The IRS says that can reduce interest and penalty charges. If you cannot pay in full, send in as much as you can and ask about other arrangements.
Payment plan: a short-term plan lets you pay in 180 days or less. For longer, you can request a monthly installment agreement by calling the number on your balance due notice.
Currently not collectible (CNC): if you cannot pay because of financial hardship, the IRS may temporarily suspend most collection. You still owe the full amount, penalties and interest keep adding up, and the IRS may file a federal tax lien or apply your refund. To ask, call 800-829-1040.
Offer in compromise: an agreement to pay an agreed, reduced amount. You must have filed all returns first and received a bill for at least one tax debt on the offer.
Collection Due Process hearing: you have the right to a hearing when a notice, such as a Final Notice of Intent to Levy, tells you so, and you must request it on time. You do that with Form 12153, sent to the address on the lien or levy notice.
If you do not contact the IRS, it may take action to collect. It may levy (seize) wages, bank accounts, Social Security benefits and retirement income.
How to report a scam
Phone: record the number and hang up. Report it to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) Hotline, or call 800-366-4484. Also report it to the Federal Trade Commission with the FTC Complaint Assistant on FTC.gov and add "IRS phone scam" in the notes.
Email: do not reply, click links or open attachments. Send the email to phishing@irs.gov with the subject line "IRS." Attach it as a file or "forward as attachment," because plain forwarding strips key data.
Text: send phishing@irs.gov the sender's number, the message, your number, and the date, time and time zone, with the subject line "Text." You can also forward it to 7726 (SPAM), then delete it.
Social media: report the account to the platform. Send the full URL to phishing@irs.gov with the subject "Social media."
Mail: for a fake letter about an unclaimed refund, tax lien or tax debt relief, report to the U.S. Postal Service and the Federal Trade Commission.
If you lost money or information, stop talking to the scammer, send no more money, contact your financial institution and follow the steps on IdentityTheft.gov. An Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN) helps stop someone from filing a return in your name. The Taxpayer Advocate Service, an independent organization within the IRS, can also help.
What to do today
Give no details or payment on the call. Hang up.
Write down the number, the name given, the date and what was said.
Find the paper letter, if any, and check its notice number on IRS.gov.
If the contact is real, mark the response date on the notice.
If it is a scam, report it.
If you owe and are unsure what to do, get help before you reply.
How we help
I am Sabih Shafi, an IRS Enrolled Agent, federally licensed to represent taxpayers before the IRS in all 50 states. We work by phone and video, in English or Spanish, with clients nationwide and abroad.
Notice review: we read the letter with you and mark the response date.
Representation: with your signed authorization, we speak with the IRS for you.
Payment options: we help you request a payment plan, currently not collectible status or an offer in compromise when one fits.
A flat fee quoted in writing before work starts.
Call or text (323) 900-0305, or book your free 20-minute tax review.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the IRS call me before it sends a letter?
Normally no. The IRS says it contacts you the first time by mail. Calls usually come after several letters.
Can the IRS threaten to have me arrested?
No. The IRS says it never threatens to bring in law enforcement or immigration officers to have you arrested for not paying.
How do I know a collection agency is legitimate?
The IRS lists three: CBE Group, Coast Professional and ConServe. You should first get Notice CP40, then the agency's letter. Both carry a taxpayer authentication number that you and the caller exchange.
Will a revenue officer show up at my door?
Rarely. In 2023 the IRS ended most unannounced revenue officer visits. Ask to see the pocket commission and the HSPD-12 card.
What if I gave a scammer money or information?
Stop all contact, send nothing more and contact your financial institution. Follow the steps on IdentityTheft.gov, then report the scam.
What if the call is real and I cannot pay?
Do not ignore it. Reply by the date on the notice, pay what you can, and ask about a payment plan.
General information, not tax advice for your situation.
Related Reading
Talk to an Enrolled Agent
This article is general information, not individual tax advice. If you want to talk through your own IRS or state balance, book a free 20-minute review or call or text us directly.
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