Did you know that the IRS has a Taxpayer Bill of Rights?  These are implemented to protect you as a taxpayer and it is up to you (or your representative) to be sure that they are being met.  The IRS has recently released a short video that helps to explain the Taxpayer Bill of Rights and you can watch it here. ​

If you'd like assistance in ensuring your rights are being met, including your right to representation, call us for a free consultation at 720-420-7996.  

​Amy Lee, EA
Compass Tax Group, LLC

It's important to be aware of telephone scams that are out there, especially if you owe the Internal Revenue Service in back taxes and are worried about the consequences.  There is one particular scam that feeds on the fear of taxpayers by making threats if they don't receive payment right away, including jail time.   The Internal Revenue Service has come out with 5 easy ways that you can identify a telephone scam.  Remember, the IRS will never:

1. Call you about taxes you owe without first mailing you an official notice.
2. Demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe.
3. Require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card.
4. Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
5. Threaten to bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.

The Internal Revenue Service goes on to say the following:

"These callers may demand money or may say you have a refund due and try to trick you into sharing private information. These con artists can sound convincing when they call. They may know a lot about you, and they usually alter the caller ID to make it look like the IRS is calling. They use fake names and bogus IRS identification badge numbers. If you don't answer, they often leave an "urgent" callback request."

If you get one of these calls and you know you don't owe taxes (or have no reason to believe that you do), report the incident to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) at 1.800.366.4484 or at www.tigta.gov.  If you've been targeted by this scam, also contact the Federal Trade Commission and use their "FTC Complaint Assistant" at FTC.gov. Please add "IRS Telephone Scam" to the comments of your complaint.

If you believe you do owe taxes, you can call 1-800-829-1040.  It might also benefit you to get in touch with us at Compass Tax Group for a free consultation.  We can tell you what kind of options you have for resolving your debt before collection efforts by the Internal Revenue Service increase.  We can be reached at 720-420-7996.

For more information on reporting tax scams, go to www.irs.gov and type "scam" in the search box.  Additional information about tax scams are available on IRS social media sites, including YouTube http://youtu.be/UHlxTX4rTRU?list=PL2A3E7A9BD8A8D41D. and Tumblr http://internalrevenueservice.tumblr.comwhere people can search "scam" to find all the scam-related posts.​


Amy Lee, EA
Owner of Compass Tax Group, LLC