The Internal Revenue Service has awarded new contracts to three private-sector collection agencies for the collection of overdue tax debts. The new contracts begin Thursday following today’s expiration of the old contracts.
Beginning Thursday, Sept. 23, 2021, taxpayers with unpaid tax bills may be contacted by one of the following three agencies:
Notification by IRS and the private collection agencies
The IRS will always notify a taxpayer before transferring their account to a private collection agency (PCA).
- First, the IRS will send a letter to the taxpayer and their tax representative informing them that their account was assigned to a PCA and giving the name and contact information for the PCA. This mailing will include a copy of Publication 4518, What You Can Expect When the IRS Assigns Your Account to a Private Collection Agency (.pdf).
- Following IRS notification, the PCA will send its own letter to the taxpayer and their representative confirming the account transfer. To protect the taxpayer’s privacy and security, both the IRS letter and the PCA’s letter will contain information that will help taxpayers identify the tax amount owed and assure taxpayers that future collection agency calls they may receive are legitimate.
How it works
The private collectors will identify themselves as contractors collecting taxes on behalf of the IRS. Employees of these collection agencies must follow the provisions of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, and like IRS employees, must be courteous and must respect taxpayer rights.
Private firms are not authorized to take enforcement actions against taxpayers. Only IRS employees can take these actions, such as filing a notice of Federal Tax Lien or issuing a levy.
Payment options
The private firms are authorized to discuss payment options, including setting up payment agreements with taxpayers. But as with cases assigned to IRS employees, any tax payment must be made directly to the IRS. A payment should never be sent to the private firm or anyone besides the IRS or the U.S. Treasury. Checks should only be made payable to the United States Treasury. To find out more about available payment options, visit IRS.gov/Payments.
Isom Accounting and Tax CPA firm specializes in the tax representation of individuals and businesses in front of the IRS and other tax authorities. Isom CPA firm is a Southern California boutique firm located in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, which provides nationwide virtual tax debt resolution, accounting, and tax services to help its clients get and stay compliant with the tax agencies. Nataliya Isom, CPA is the founder of the Isom Accounting and Tax and is a member of the American Society of Tax Problem Solvers, Tax Rep Network, CalCPA, and AICPA.
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