IRS no longer makes unannounced visits to homes, businesses

Except in “a few unique circumstances,” such as the serving of subpoenas and seizure of assets, the IRS will replace the visits with mailed letters to schedule meetings. The policy reversal was welcomed by the National Treasury Employees Union, which said IRS employees have had ongoing safety concerns. Revenue officers have made tens of thousands of unannounced visits per year to homes and businesses during a “decades-long practice,” the IRS said.

What’s prompting this policy change? Growth in the number of scammers claiming to represent the agency has made taxpayers skeptical of real IRS agents, said IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel. The changes are part of the IRS Strategic Operating Plan unveiled in April. Political concerns have also been raised—U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, in March questioned why a journalist received an unannounced home visit from an IRS agent shortly after giving testimony on Capitol Hill. 

Dig deeper: Listen to Clara York’s report on The World and Everything In It podcast about two IRS whistleblowers’ testimony before Congress.