What can an IRS Revenue Officer do to me?

If you are contacted by an IRS revenue officer about scheduling a meeting or to immediately answer questions, you may be wondering, “What can an IRS revenue officer do to me?” An IRS revenue officer is not law enforcement.  His job is to collect the money you owe whether you hand it to him or he takes the steps to take it.

Seize Property

Portable assets like cars, boats or bonds can be taken from you by the IRS revenue officer, but not before due process.  Don’t ignore letters from agents particularly if they have been sent through certified mail.  These notices are your opportunity to stop the IRS from taking your property either by contesting the seizure or requesting a review.

Freeze Assets

IRS revenue officers are able to freeze your liquid assets.  Most often these are savings and checking accounts. Due process applies to these assets. However, if you are not cooperating with your IRS revenue officer and do not have an authorized representative working with them for you, you may discover your account frozen when you are in the checkout line.

Garnish Wages

After an audit determines you owe, the IRS revenue officer can submit to have your wages garnished to get payment. The amount the officer garnishes is based on what you claim. If you are single with no children, the officer garnishes all take-home wages just over $185 per week.

Obtain a Search Warrant

IRS revenue officers are not allowed to enter your premises without permission.  If you refuse to let them in, they are able to go file court orders against you and obtain a search warrant.  When they do, expect local law enforcement to accompany them, and for the officer to take from you whatever items he is seeking including computers, disks and files.

An IRS revenue officer isn’t the one to take you to jail.  This officer carries an ID badge and doesn’t carry a gun.  He can refer your case for criminal procedures and come to your job or residence with an IRS special agent who can arrest you or shoot to defend himself. Just remember, people who go to jail over taxes are not simply debtors.  You have to cheat on your taxes in some way or purposely attempt to trick or commit fraud against the IRS.

Don’t wait until you are contacted by an IRS revenue officer to get tax debt help. If you owe the IRS, a reputable tax relief company like National Tax Credit Group can help you reduce or eliminate your tax debt. Schedule a consultation and an experienced representative will advise you on the best method of getting a break from IRS collections.