Dealing with an IRS Revenue Office can be a challenging and, sometimes, even nerve-racking experience, especially when one shows up at your business or house doorstep unannounced. However, most of the time, these feelings of anxiety and stress are misplaced.
This guide will shed some light on the details surrounding IRS Revenue Officers, what exactly they do, and what to do if one contacts you. We also dispel some common myths and share some handy tips and information so you can use the acquired knowledge to your best advantage.
What Does an IRS Revenue Officer Do?
Often confused with an IRS Revenue Agent, an IRS Revenue Officer is responsible for collecting money (taxes). They are civil employees employed by the IRS Field Collection office and collect taxes by interviewing taxpayers and running asset checks. If they cannot make contact with a taxpayer, they will work with third parties to gather the information they need.
The general powers of an IRS Revenue Officer include:
- Finding liens against you.
- Interviewing 3rd parties about you.
- Summoning records.
- Issuing levies.
- Commencing seizure proceedings against you without needing a court order (see notes below).
- Referring you to the IRS CID if required.
- Levying any receivable accounts, bank accounts, subpoena documents, wages, or retirement funds.
Remember that an IRS Revenue Officer is assigned to specific cases, not just any tax-debt-related case. In the overwhelming majority of cases, an IRS Revenue Officer will visit you if:
(1) The tax issue is associated with your business.
(2) Your tax debt is from older tax years.
(3) Your tax debt exceeds $100,000.
Things to Know:
- IRS Revenue Officers (1) do NOT carry weapons, (2) can NOT investigate you criminally, and (3) have absolutely NO right/authority to arrest you.
- Their badge is usually a plastic lanyard as opposed to that of an IRS Criminal Investigation Divisions (CID) officer, which is golden.
- An IRS Revenue Officer has a limited ability when it comes to seizing a taxpayer’s home, thanks to the Revenue and Reform Act of 1998.
- Anybody with a 4-year degree (not necessarily with a financial-related background) can get a job as a Revenue Officer. Before one visits you, though, they undergo months of (initial) training, and then ongoing training.
What’s the Difference Between an IRS Revenue Officer and a Revenue Agent?
As already mentioned before, an IRS Revenue Officer collects taxes. Interestingly, they are not graded based on the sums they collect rather than how quickly they close cases. Although this is not always in the taxpayer’s favor, there may be cases when a taxpayer and a Revenue Officer have common goals and aspirations – for the case to be over and done with.
IRS Revenue Agents, on the other hand, are assigned a different task – that of auditing taxpayers. So, the person that will collect taxes from you is NOT the same individual as the one who performs the audit.
How Things Work – The Drill
As soon as the IRS assesses the tax, you will be called to pay the due amount (i.e., withholdings and unpaid employee taxes for business owners). If you cannot pay, the IRS will send out several notices. Then, the IRS will make contact with you to identify who is to blame for the underpayment. In doing so (most of the time, at least) an IRS Revenue Officer will visit your business and seek to assess the TFRP (Trust Fund Recovery Penalty), which is another word for the taxes, against as many taxpayers as possible.
Therefore, you can understand that it is not just you, the business owner, who is at risk for a TFRP assessment – it includes everybody else also managing the finances of the company. It is worth noting that many times, these assessments reveal employees embezzling money from the business.
Note: Depending on the amount of due tax, your collection case may as well stay with the ACS (Automated Collections System). This also happens when a taxpayer owes money to the IRS. In this case, you may never see an IRS Revenue Officer coming your way. Instead, you will be sent notifications of past due balance. If these are ignored, the IRS will try to collect the owed money via wage garnishments, bank levies, and liens.
What To Do If an IRS Revenue Officer Contacts You
Nine out of ten times, the IRS Revenue Officer will try to determine your ability to pay. That aside, though, they may even investigate you for a TFRP assessment that you have not paid (this usually happens when you have unpaid employee taxes). No matter the reason why an IRS Revenue Officer shows up at your business, we strongly recommend ensuring you get the best representation possible. This can come from an individual that is helping you with this tax matter. You may, however, need a more robust representation, such as a lawyer or tax attorney (many taxpayers seek legal advice before giving an IRS employee any testimony).
Keep in mind that things are usually fairly serious, especially considering that the IRS has half the field officers they used to have ten years ago. So, there must be a very important reason why you were assigned an IRS Revenue Officer. And, don’t think even for a second that the IRS will take it easy on you.
When a Revenue Officer visits you for the first time, they should identify themselves by showing their ID (remember, badge carriers are usually from the Criminal Investigation Department). If you are certain that you don’t have fraudsters in front of you, you can sit down with the Revenue Officer and hear the “collection alternative” (i.e., Offer in Compromise) they have to offer you. If you agree to the proposed terms (meaning, a reasonable agreement is presented to you), you put everything behind you. If not, refer to the next section for the appropriate course of action.
In any case, you may want to consult with your tax professional before the IRS Revenue Officer pays their visit. Experienced tax representatives can be of significant assistance to you as they will:
- Help you figure out your options.
- Come to the negotiation table with the IRS agent knowing what to do.
- Deal with your IRS Revenue Officer and get a better agreement for you (than you).
Tips:
- Be honest with your Revenue Officer. You don’t want to annoy them by doing things like incurring a lot of new liabilities or hiding your assets while dealing with them. Just work with them.
- Cooperating with an IRS Revenue Officer does NOT mean that you must push yourself into something without considering the “aftermath” and consulting a tax professional.
What To Do If You’re Getting Nowhere With the Revenue Officer
If the IRS Revenue Officer is being unfair or things show that you two will not see eye to eye anytime soon, you could:
- Speak with their Group Manager (but do not keep your hopes up that they will take your side).
- Address the Territory Manager (a step above the Group Manager). In this case, ensure you can prove that the IRS Revenue Officer did not act correctly. Otherwise, it may get you into deeper waters.
- Wait until you receive a Notice of Federal Tax Lien, Notice of Levy, or a notice proposing a levy and request for a CDP (Collection Due Process) hearing. Then, you or your tax representative can negotiate a better deal with a settlement officer. This action also puts the brakes on the revenue officer, who can do nothing while you appeal.
Note:
- It is required by law an IRS Revenue Officer makes their first contact in person, so do not expect a heads-up phone call.
- An IRS Revenue Agent will most likely notify you that you are under examination by sending notices to you before a field agent schedules their visit to your business or home.
- If you are being visited by an IRS CID officer, call a tax attorney immediately.
- If an IRS Revenue Officer or field agent leaves a note or business card on your door, use the contact information on the card and have your representative (i.e., tax or law firm) get in touch with the Revenue Officer. You are either being assessed for (probably) an underpayment of employee withholding or have a tax debt.
The Best Course of Action to Take with a Revenue Officer
Your best bet when an IRS Revenue Officer visits you is to hire a tax professional or tax attorney to help you with your tax issue. Unlike what many people think, this does NOT make you look “guilty” in the eyes of the IRS agent. In fact, most of the time, IRS Revenue Officers admit being glad the taxpayer hired a tax or legal representative because they, as government employees, are not allowed to give any advice (legal or otherwise) that could help resolve your case in an instance. Indeed, the best IRS Revenue Officers want you to be well taken care of and represented.
But, even if an IRS agent tells you that it is a waste of money and time to hire representation (“You could use the money you pay the tax prep company to repay your taxes”), you definitely need somebody that is 100% on your side. No matter how great a guy an IRS Revenue Officer is, they are still far from being your advocates – their position does not give them such liberty. Nor can they offer tax-related or legal advice. Plus, you will most likely be visited by a government employee that enjoys mowing over taxpayers. It is always good to know that you can get some control back into your own hands with the help of tax experts or legal representation. Plus, you can likely save a great deal of money!
Finally, remember that…
IRS Revenue Officers and Agents are ordinary people like the rest of us. This means that they, too, have good and bad days. They also have a significant workload they are called to manage every single day. This can force them to make decisions and offer agreements that may not be of your best interest.
Without a doubt, though, having to handle the stress and anxiety that comes with back taxes and the presence of an IRS Revenue Officer at your premises can lead to even more trouble and problems. For that reason, it is best to ensure you have a tax professional to help you resolve your issue and have your rights as a taxpayer well protected.
