Tips to remember to avoid tax scams:
- The IRS will never contact you through social media
- The IRS will always give you time to ask questions or appeal what you owe, so you should be suspicious if you are pressured to act quickly
- First contact by the IRS will always be by mail, but they may call after they have sent a letter
- If the caller curses, yells or threatens to have you arrested or deported, hang up. It's not the IRS
- The IRS will never demand you pay by wire transfer, prepaid debit cards or gift cards
- You will always be notified before the IRS sends your account to a collection service
- The IRS and private debt collectors will never ask for payment information over the phone
- But if you aren't sure about something, when in doubt check IRS.GOV