What Is an IRS Revenue Officer?

While most people are relative strangers to the IRS, if you’ve ever experienced a small tax issue—or a bigger one like an audit or tax debt—you’ve likely had more interactions with the IRS or a revenue officer than you’d otherwise care to.

Whatever the tax issue may be, the IRS is more than communicative. They’re big on letters, so that means you’re likely to receive a number of bills, warnings, and other notices. Although any mail from the IRS is intimidating, they pale in comparison to the alternative—and much more frightening—mode of IRS contact:

An IRS representative showing up at your door.

If an IRS letter is scary, then an IRS human being is downright horrifying. Not only have very few taxpayers ever dealt with the IRS face-to-face, but meeting an IRS representative is a sure sign that the IRS has a vested interest in your tax case

There are numerous types of representatives the IRS sends into the field at one time or another: revenue officers, revenue agents, and IRS special agents being the most common. At Edge Financial, we think you should prepare yourself to interact with them by learning about their specialties and your rights when dealing with them

So, what is a revenue officer?

IRS revenue officers fall on the collections and enforcements side of the spectrum. Unlike revenue agents, which perform tasks like audits and other tax assessments, revenue officers deal with serious tax debt cases, situation where the IRS hasn’t been able to collect a tax debt via the standard methods of tax debt enforcement.

When does the IRS send a revenue officer?

The IRS won’t jump directly to sending a revenue officer. No, no. They’ll first try a number of other methods of getting in touch with you to resolve a tax debt.

We work in tax relief and audit defense for some of our clients, so we’re well versed in the matter. As we try to remind our clients whenever necessary, the IRS will almost always first attempt to reach you by mail—not by phone or in person—to give you their assessment of your tax debt.

If you still don’t respond (You should!), they’re likely to send you more notices before escalating their collections actions. At this point, the IRS is likely to move on to tax levies on assets, like your home, or wage garnishments that redirect a portion of each paycheck from your employer directly to the IRS.

However, it’s certainly possible you’d end up meeting an IRS revenue officer working on your case before some of these steps have been taken, but our point here is pretty simple. If you’re meeting an IRS revenue officer, there’s a good chance you’ll at least have already received a number of letters from the IRS.

What do they do in the field?

For the most part, IRS revenue officers attempt to get a delinquent taxpayer or business to start repaying their IRS tax debt. The methods and strategies they might use to reach that end are flexible, though.

Now, let’s get this straight. A revenue officer won’t try to take your car keys or possess your home—nothing that drastic. He or she is probably going to be more focused on collecting information on your spending tendencies, where you live, and the value of your assets. If they show up on your doorstep, they’ll come prepared with a number of questions about your work, your tax debt, and any dependents in the home.

What should you do if one visits?

For most people, the arrival of an IRS representative is a reality check. Your tax debt situation isn’t just a private secret between you, the IRS, and your mailbox. Now, it’s real and potentially out in the open. Here’s what you need to remember if a revenue officer makes a visit.

1. Make sure they have their credentials. Like most government officials out in the field, IRS revenue agents will carry the proper credentials with them. They’ll never ask for you to give them cash or credit card information. Anyone who does may be a scammer.
2. Remember your rights. You don’t need to let a revenue officer into your home unless they have a warrant. You aren’t helping or hurting your case by turning down their request for entry, and it may actually be better that you don’t let them in.
3. Hire a tax team. If your tax debt situation has escalated to the point where the IRS has sent a revenue officer, you need to start resolving it. Hiring a tax attorney or other tax resolution experts is a smart next move.

Revenue Officers: A Cue to Get Serious 

When you’re dealing with serious tax issues, you need serious tax solutions. With a better understanding of IRS revenue officers, you can start the process of climbing out from under your tax debt. Hire the right team of tax professionals, and take solace. You never need to fight the IRS alone.