Category: IRS News

The IRS announced on July 24, 2023 a new policy change regarding Revenue Officers

As part of a larger transformation effort, the Internal Revenue Service today announced a major policy change that will end most unannounced visits to taxpayers by agency revenue officers to reduce public confusion and enhance overall safety measures for taxpayers and employees.

The change reverses a decades-long practice by IRS revenue officers, the unarmed agency employees whose duties include visiting households and businesses to help taxpayers resolve their account balances by collecting unpaid taxes and unfiled tax returns. Effective immediately, unannounced visits will end except in a few unique circumstances and will be replaced with mailed letters to schedule meetings.

IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel announced the change as part of a larger effort to transform IRS operations following passage of the Inflation Reduction Act last year and the creation of the new IRS Strategic Operating Plan in April.

“We are taking a fresh look at how the IRS operates to better serve taxpayers and the nation, and making this change is a common-sense step,” Werfel said. “Changing this long-standing procedure will increase confidence in our tax administration work and improve overall safety for taxpayers and IRS employees.”

The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) supports the policy change.

“NTEU welcomes the IRS decision to halt unannounced visits by IRS Field Collection employees,” said Tony Reardon, National President of the National Treasury Employees Union “The safety of IRS employees is of paramount importance and this decision will help protect those whose jobs have only grown more dangerous in recent years because of false, inflammatory rhetoric about the agency and its workforce. We applaud Commissioner Werfel’s quick action after hearing the safety concerns raised by NTEU leaders and IRS Field Collection employees who faced dangerous situations that put their safety at risk. We look forward to working with the IRS on this and other actions to protect the safety of all IRS employees.”

Werfel also noted that there have been increased security concerns in recent years on multiple fronts. The growth in scam artists bombarding taxpayers has increased confusion about home visits by IRS revenue officers. Sometimes scam artists appear at the door posing as IRS agents, creating confusion for not just the taxpayers living there but local law-enforcement.

For IRS revenue officers, these unannounced visits to homes and businesses presented risks. Revenue officers routinely faced hazards and uncertainty making unannounced visits to attempt … Continue reading

The IRS has announced that the 2021 PTIN renewal window is now open. All current PTINs will expire on December 31, 2020.

All tax professionals, regardless of licensure, must renew their PTIN if they prepare any return or claim for refund in 2021. The total renewal fee is $35.95, of which $21 goes to the IRS and $14.95 goes to the federal contractor administering the PTIN registration program. Once paid, nobody can receive a refund on these fees.

All Enrolled Agents must also renew their PTINs, regardless of whether or not they prepare tax returns, and without regard to your normal EA renewal year. In other words, all EAs, including those only offering taxpayer representation services, must hold a valid PTIN at all times. This requirement does not apply to CPAs and attorneys engaged in taxpayer representation if they are not also preparing tax returns for a fee.

To renew your PTIN for 2021, or to apply for your first PTIN if you are a new tax practitioner, simply visit the IRS PTIN system here: https://rpr.irs.gov/datamart/mainMenuUSIRS.do

 … Continue reading