IRS warns about back tax phone scams targeting taxpayers
IRS warns about back tax phone scams targeting taxpayers
C. A. Bridges, USA TODAY NETWORK - FloridaThu, March 5, 2026 at 3:31 PM UTC
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The phone call sounds alarming. You owe back taxes and need to settle them quickly.
The call will be from the “Tax Mediation and Resolution Agency,” or the “Tax Resolution Oversight Department,” or some other official-sounding office.
They don't exist.
"We’re seeing a big wave of reports about phone scams claiming you owe back taxes," a Federal Trade Commission consumer alert said. "But it’s not the IRS calling, it’s a scammer."
Know this, first of all: the first contact from the IRS about any issue, even back taxes, will always come by U.S. mail, never by phone or text message.
A sample of a call from an IRS back taxes scammer.What are tax scammers after?
Generally, scammers want money, your private information, or both, the FTC said.
"They’ll say you haven’t paid your taxes and offer to connect you with a 'tax resolution officer,' who can do a 'red flag check' on your credit and help you apply for an 'IRS liability reduction program.' But those aren’t real programs and that’s your sign to end the call," the FTC said.
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Often, they'll ask for your Social Security number or attempt to charge you an "illegal upfront fee" for tax debt relief, which could run to thousands of dollars. Such services rarely settle any debts, the FTC said, and may never even send your paperwork to the IRS for the hardship programs they advertise.
Beware of any scammers trying to get payment online, especially if they ask for gift cards or prepaid debit cards.
How can you tell if the call or text is from the IRS?
The IRS only emails or texts with your permission, the agency said. The IRS or private collection agencies may call you to address account matters. In some cases, the IRS uses automated messages, but they will direct you to IRS.gov to securely manage your account, make payments, or resolve an issue, and will not share specific details.
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The IRS will not:
Direct message or take payment on social media
Accept gift cards or prepaid debit cards as payment
Call with automated messages that threaten or direct to websites that aren’t IRS.gov
Threaten to call law enforcement or immigration officials
Take your citizenship status, driver's license or business license
Mail tax debt resolution advertisements
What do I do if I get a call about back taxes?
According to the FTC:
Never give an unexpected caller personal or financial information. It’s probably a scammer hoping to drain your bank accounts or steal your identity.
Hang up. Don't return voicemails.
Check it out through IRS.gov. Contact the IRS directly for trustworthy information about your tax situation. Need to speak with someone? Only use a phone number found on the IRS’s website; never use one from a phone call or text message.
Read up on how government imposter scams work. Start with ftc.gov/imposters and if you spot a scam, tell the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
You should also report IRS scams to the IRS. On Feb. 26, the IRS launched a new web page to allow taxpayers to easily report suspected tax fraud, scams, evasion, or other tax-related illegal activities.
Where's my refund?
According to the IRS, if you chose direct deposit when you filed, you should get it within five days after processing. Mailed refunds may take several weeks.
More than 9 out of 10 refunds are issued within 21 days, the IRS said on its website.
Your return could be delayed if there were errors, missing information, or if you amended it after you filed it.
You can check the status of your return at irs.gov/wheres-my-refund or by using the IRS2GO mobile app.
If you filed an amended return, go to irs.gov/filing/wheres-my-amended-return.
As of Feb. 20, the IRS has processed more than 41.03 million returns and refunded nearly $110 billion, with an average refund of $3,804, the agency reported.
C. A. Bridges is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida's service journalism Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: How to spot fake IRS calls about unpaid back taxes
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