APPEALS MAY CALL YOU IF YOU FILED A PETITION WITH THE U.S. TAX COURT:

The IRS Independent Office of Appeals seeks to resolve disputes between taxpayers and the IRS without the need for litigation. Taxpayers who file a petition in the U.S. Tax Court and who have not had a prior opportunity to attempt to resolve their case with Appeals may be contacted by Appeals. Traditionally, Appeals contacts the taxpayer by mail offering to discuss possible settlement of the case. To improve the timeliness of the settlement process, Appeals has begun making initial contact with certain taxpayers (or the taxpayer’s authorized representative, if any) by telephone. This telephone contact generally will occur in cases where the taxpayer petitioned the court as a result of a letter from the IRS correspondence examination unit or the income underreported unit. Appeals recognizes that some taxpayers may be concerned that a caller claiming to be from IRS Appeals truly is from Appeals.

How can you know if a call is really from IRS Independent Office of Appeals?

Did you file a petition with the U.S. Tax Court?

If the answer is yes, you may receive a call from an Appeals Officer to discuss your tax dispute and options for resolution.

If an Appeals Officer cannot reach you by phone, he/she may leave a general voicemail message. When an Appeals employee leaves a voicemail, they will include self-identifying information such as their name, title, badge number, and contact information.

Appeals call verification procedures

During the call, the Appeals Officer will provide you with their name, their badge number and their contact information including their phone number, e-fax, and e-mail address. The Appeals Officer will also know the docket number as well as specifics regarding your case.

Appeals employees will never ask for your credit card or banking information.

Also, during this call, Appeals employees may ask you to submit additional documentation regarding your petition directly to the Independent Office of Appeals via mail, fax, or to an email address ending with @irs.gov.