The federal government has contracted out the collection of unpaid income tax with four private debt collection agencies. These agencies are CBE Group, ConServe, Performant, and Pioneer Credit Recovery.<\/p>\n
Beginning April 2017, the private collection firms will contact taxpayers with overdue federal tax bills. At first, collection letters will be sent,\u00a0stating the account was transferred by the IRS to the collector. Then calls will follow.<\/p>\n
The collectors have an incentive to collect. They’ll receive 25% of every dollar collected.<\/p>\n
Although the collectors\u00a0are still required to follow the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act<\/a>\u00a0and respect taxpayer rights, vulnerable taxpayers could be pressured by aggressive collectors to pay more than they can afford.<\/p>\n The IRS also offers various taxpayer programs\u00a0to eligible taxpayers. Be sure to inquire about your eligibility for these programs.<\/p>\n The government’s collectors will target taxpayers owing less than $50,000\u00a0and move up from there.\u00a0They may discuss payment options with taxpayers, but all\u00a0payments are to\u00a0be sent, either electronically or by check, to the IRS or U.S. Treasury.<\/strong> Payments are not to be sent to the private debt collection agency.<\/p>\n If you feel that you are being harassed, or that the claimed debt isn’t accurate, file a complaint with:<\/p>\n Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: 1-855-411-2372<\/p>\n U.S. Treasury, Inspector General for Tax\u00a0Administration:\u00a01-800-366-4484<\/p>\n Flitter Milz is a nationally recognized consumer protection law firm that represents victims of abusive collection tactics.\u00a0 Contact Us<\/strong><\/a> if you have questions concerning contact from debt collectors.\u00a0 There is no cost for the consultation.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Uncle Sam Contracts Private Collectors to Collect Unpaid Taxes The federal government has contracted out the collection of unpaid income tax with four private debt collection agencies. These agencies are CBE Group, ConServe, Performant, and Pioneer Credit Recovery. Beginning April 2017, the private collection firms will contact taxpayers with overdue federal tax bills. At first, … <\/p>\nWhere to Send Payments<\/h2>\n
Questions about Debt Collection?<\/h2>\n