On July 24, the IRS announced that it will immediately end most unannounced revenue officer (RO) visits.
For decades, IRS ROs have visited households and businesses as part of their efforts to collect federal tax liabilities. In a major policy change, the IRS has stopped most unannounced RO visits to taxpayers to reduce public confusion and enhance overall safety measures for both taxpayers and employees.
What is a Revenue Officer?
IRS ROs are unarmed civil employees whose duties include visiting households and businesses to help taxpayers resolve their account balances. Their job is to collect unpaid federal taxes and to secure past-due federal tax returns. ROs also educate taxpayers on their tax filing and paying obligations and provide guidance and service on a wide range of financial issues to help taxpayers resolve their tax issues. They also ensure taxpayers are aware of their rights under the Taxpayer Bill of Rights. The IRS currently has about 2,300 ROs working cases across the country.
How do Revenue Officers work?
ROs conduct interviews with taxpayers and/or their representatives as part of the process of collecting delinquent taxes and securing past-due tax returns. Through interviews and research, the ROs get and analyze financial information to determine taxpayers’ ability to pay their tax bill. ROs consider alternative means of resolving tax debt issues when taxpayers cannot pay the debt in full and provide taxpayers with resources that can help, including:
- Setting up payment agreements that allow taxpayers to pay their bills over time;
- When appropriate, granting relief from penalties imposed when tax bills are overdue; or
- Suspending collection of accounts due to financial hardship.
If the IRS is unable to reach an agreement with a taxpayer, enforcement actions may be taken. For more information about the IRS collection process, visit our Get Help page.
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