Please note that the IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email to request personal or financial information. This includes any type of electronic communication, such as text messages and social media channels.

Note that the IRS will never:

• Call to demand immediate payment using a specific payment method such as a prepaid debit card, gift card or wire transfer. Generally, the IRS will first mail you a bill if you owe any taxes.

• Threaten to immediately bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.

• Demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe.

• Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.

Examples of recent scams include:

• Fake IRS tax bills related to the Affordable Care Act. Generally, the scam involves a fraudulent version of CP2000 notices for tax year 2015. See more.

• Telephone scammers targeting students and parents during the back-to-school season and demanding payments for non-existent taxes, such as the “federal student tax.” See more.

• “Robo-calls” where scammers leave urgent callback requests through the phone telling taxpayers to call back to settle their “tax bill.” In the latest trend, IRS impersonators demand payments on iTunes and other gift cards. See more.

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