Can the IRS Visit Me at My Home or Business? Yes, but It Doesn’t Happen Much.

Yes, the IRS can visit you. But this is rare, unless you have a serious tax problem.

If the IRS is going to visit you, it’s usually one of these people:

• IRS revenue agent: This person conducts audits at your business or home.
• IRS revenue officer: This person collects back taxes and enforces the filing of back tax returns. The IRS usually sends revenue officers to collect taxes when taxpayers haven’t set up a payment agreement with the IRS, and they owe a large amount of taxes (over $100,000 for an individual), back payroll taxes, and/or have unfiled back tax returns.
• IRS special agent:  This person conducts IRS criminal investigations, usually for tax evasion. The special agent usually visits with another agent. Special agents can ask questions about your taxes, or they could be gathering evidence from you about another taxpayer – like someone you know or have done business or other transactions with.

All three of these situations are rare

Revenue agents and revenue officers usually call or send a letter before they show up at your home or business. That’s standard operating procedure, so that they spend their time productively with you. Special agents can show up unannounced.

Many IRS impersonator scam calls imitate one of these IRS employee titles. Impersonators say that you have a problem with your tax return and you need to pay immediately. Again, in these cases, you’ll likely know well in advance that you have an issue with the IRS. The call won’t come out of the blue.

The answer here is just hang up. It’s an IRS impersonator trying to scam you out of your money.

The bottom line: Yes, the IRS can visit you, but it won’t be a surprise. If the contact is legitimate, you’ll almost always want to hire a tax professional to help you. Learn more about H&R Block’s Tax Audit & Notice Services. Or make an appointment for a free consultation with a local tax professional by calling 855-536-6504 or finding a local tax pro.