At Polston, it’s always our goal to help you stay in the know and savvy when it comes to your taxes – and that includes helping you to protect yourself from thieves and scammers looking to take advantage. The IRS is alerting individuals of a sophisticated new scam involving fake CP2000 notices that are being sent to taxpayers to bill them for unpaid taxes related to the Affordable Care Act. This issue has been reported to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration for investigation, but here are a few key things to look out for so you don’t fall victim: 

How Do I Know I’m Being Scammed? 

This scam may arrive via email, as an attachment, or by mail. A few signs to keep an eye out for include: 

• The notice will be issued from an Austin, Texas address
• The letter says the issue is related to the Affordable Care Act and requests information about 2014 coverage
• The payment voucher lists the letter number as 105C
• The notice requests a check made out to I.R.S. (note the out-of-place periods) and sent to the “Austin Processing Center” at a post office box

What Does a Real CP2000 Notice Look Like? 

An authentic CP2000 notice is used when income reported from a third-party source (such as an employer) does not match the income reported on the tax return. Unlike the fake notices, they will provide extensive instructions about what to do if you agree or disagree that additional tax is owed. 

A real notice will also request that checks be made out to “United States Treasury,” not a random processing center.  

Other Suspicious Scam Activity

Keep in mind that IRS scams can take many forms, including: threatening phone calls, phishing emails, and demanding letters. To learn more about these scams and how to protect yourself, please visit the IRS’s Reporting Phishing and Online Scams page. 

The IRS will never initiate unsolicited email contact or contact by social media – so be aware and use your best judgment. If something seems phony, it probably is.  

If you ever have questions about an IRS notice or suspected scam, we are here to lend a hand. Be sure to browse our services page and fill out the form for a free consultation. Or give us a call at 844-841-9857!