IRS warns of fake CP2000 tax bill
The IRS recently issued an alert to taxpayers and tax professionals to be on guard against fake emails claiming to contain an IRS tax bill related to the Affordable Care Act.
This particular scam involves an email with a fake CP2000 notice attached. A legitimate CP2000 notice informs you of proposed adjustments to income, payments, credits or deductions on an income tax return. It is not a bill. The issue has been reported to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration for investigation.
It is important to note that a CP2000 notice is commonly mailed to taxpayers through the United States Postal Service. It is never sent as part of an email to taxpayers.
According to the IRS, taxpayers should be wary of the following:
- A CP2000 notice that is sent electronically, as the IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email or through social media platforms;
- A CP2000 notices that appears to be issued from an Austin, Texas, address;
- An underreported issue that is related to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and requests information regarding 2014 coverage;
- A payment voucher that lists the letter number as 105C.
Additionally, the fraudulent CP2000 notice includes a payment request for taxpayers to mail a check made out to “I.R.S.” to the “Austin Processing Center” at a Post Office Box address. This is in addition to a “payment” link within the email itself.
If you have received this scam email, forward it to [email protected] and then delete it from your email account.
To determine if a CP2000 notice you received in the mail is real, see the Understanding Your CP2000 Notice, which includes an image of a real notice.