How to tell a real IRS letter from a scam

By mail, almost always first. The IRS says, "We normally contact you the first time by mail delivered by the U.S. Postal Service," on its how to know it's the IRS page.

• Email and text: the IRS says it emails and texts only when you opt in.
• Phone: the IRS or a private collection agency may call about your account. Some calls are automated and send you to IRS.gov.
• Visits: "Unannounced visits are rare. We generally send a letter before we visit."

So a first contact by text, email or social media is a red flag. A letter that names a notice number you can find on irs.gov is a good sign, though still worth checking. Our IRS letter decoder covers the common numbers.

Pressure and odd payment methods are the giveaways. The IRS lists these signs that a contact is not from the IRS:

• It demands payment now.
• It asks for personal or financial information.
• It threatens arrest or deportation, or will not let you question or appeal the amount, per the IRS scams page.
• It asks you to pay with a gift card or prepaid card. The IRS and its authorized agencies "will never ask a taxpayer to pay using any form of pre-paid card," per IRS Tax Tip 2025-46.

The 2026 Dirty Dozen list puts IRS impersonation by email and text first, and AI-enabled impersonation by phone second, including voice mimicry and spoofed caller ID. If a call feels wrong, hang up. Forward suspicious IRS emails and texts to phishing@irs.gov.

1. Find the notice or letter number, such as CP14 or LT11, and look it up on irs.gov or in the decoder.
2. Sign in to your IRS Online Account. It shows balances by tax year and lets you "view digital notices from the IRS," per the Online Account page. If you do not have an account, the IRS says to create it "directly through IRS.gov" and not to rely on unsolicited third parties offering help.
3. Call the IRS at a number you look up on irs.gov yourself, not one from a text or email.

If your letter asks you to verify your identity, read the Letter 5071C or Letter 4883C page first.

It can be. The IRS assigns some overdue accounts to private collection agencies, and it sends you Notice CP40 first. "The IRS will send you a letter before you are contacted by a private collection agency," per the private debt collection FAQs.

• The agency then sends its own letter. Both letters carry a taxpayer authentication number, used to confirm your identity and that the caller is real.
• The IRS private debt collection page lists the current agencies: CBE Group, Coast Professional and ConServe.
• "Make all payments to the IRS." The IRS says the agency "will never ask you to pay them directly."
• Private collection agencies "cannot take any type of enforcement action against you." The IRS itself still can.

They are two scams the IRS named in its 2026 Dirty Dozen list. Both look like real tax help.

OIC mills sell the offer in compromise. The IRS says the program "can help certain eligible taxpayers resolve tax debt when they are unable to pay in full," but mills promise more than they can deliver and charge high fees to people who do not qualify. The IRS suggests checking your eligibility with its free tools first. Our offer in compromise page explains who tends to qualify.

Ghost preparers do your return but will not sign it or put a Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN) on it. "When a preparer refuses to sign or provide a PTIN, that is a major red flag." The IRS adds: "Taxpayers should never sign a blank or incomplete return."

Use the IRS's own tools, not the firm's website. The Directory of Federal Tax Return Preparers with Credentials and Select Qualifications helps you find preparers "who currently hold professional credentials recognized by the IRS," per the IRS page on choosing a tax professional. To confirm an enrolled agent specifically, the IRS Office of Enrollment answers requests sent through its contact form, per the verify an enrolled agent page.

Blaga Veleva is an Enrolled Agent, and you are welcome to check. More about her is on the about page.