There was a great line from the movie, Network … “I’m mad as hell and I am not going to take this anymore.”
That line is very fitting for me because I am mad!
A few months ago, I wrote an wrote an article on IRS tax scams in which people are called and informed that they owe back taxes.
I advised my clients to hang up the phone, because this is scam. Well, now they’ve done it. The government has created another fine mess by recently announcing that they have hired debt collectors to recover overdue taxes.
So, my clients are wondering… what does this mean now? Do they have to answer these calls?
First, the question to ask – as I asked my client – “Do you owe taxes?”
My client smiled proudly and said that every year he worked, he paid his taxes in full in April. So, I told him to hang up the phone.
Sounds simple, right? Well, it is… I don’t care who is on the phone – even if they claim to be the President of the United States – if you do not owe taxes, just hang up.
But, what if you’re not sure? What if you do owe money? Then, simply call your accountant and ask him or her to call the IRS. And, keep in mind, the IRS will always write you before anyone starts calling.
I did have a client with an interesting solution. When scammers call him, he blares his bull horn into the receiver. He caught my interest! Now, did this work? He said yes, but he once mistakenly blared the horn when his wife was calling. Obviously, there was no dinner on the table that night.
Take my advice for what it is…It’s just, AS I SEE IT!
