IRS Ends Policy To Send Armed Agents Unannounced To Taxpayer Homes

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced Monday it would end “most unannounced” visits to taxpayers’ homes, ending the decades-long practice.

IRS revenue officers will no longer be permitted to visit taxpayers’ homes unannounced and instead, individuals will receive letters helping them schedule a formal meeting, according to the agency.

“Unannounced visits will end except in a few unique circumstances,” the agency said. The change comes as the agency tries to “improve” safety and operate more efficiently.

“We are taking a fresh look at how the IRS operates to better serve taxpayers and the nation, and making this change is a common-sense step,” IRS commissioner Danny Werfel said. “Changing this long-standing procedure will increase confidence in our tax administration work and improve overall safety for taxpayers and IRS employees.”

Werfel said a combination of security concerns, as well as scam artists “bombarding taxpayers has increased confusion about home visits.” (RELATED: Matt Taibbi Says IRS Investigation Into His Tax Returns Appears To Be ‘Politically Motivated’)

“These visits created extra anxiety for taxpayers already wary of potential scam artists,” Werfel said. “At the same time, the uncertainty around what IRS employees faced when visiting these homes created stress for them as well. This is the right thing to do and the right time to end it.”

Werfel said the agency would receive additional funding under the Inflation Reduction Act which will allow more staffing.

Unannounced visits came under fire recently after independent journalist Matt Taibbi announced he was the target of an IRS investigation in December. The investigation began just weeks after Taibbi exposed corruption in the government, with an IRS agent showing up at Taibbi’s home in January over his 2018 tax filings.