1. Field Collection Operations Employment Tax Compliance Efforts & Current Collection Hot Topics Massachusetts Society of Enrolled Agents Monthly Technical Meeting – DEC 2016
Tim Sherrill
Director, North Atlantic Area, Field Collection
December/2016

2. FY 2016 Field Collection Operations

3. FY 2016 Field Collection Operations59
$59 Billion: Amounts due from Forms 941 unpaid, as of June 30, 2016 , Source: IRS CFO

4. Early Interaction Initiatives Federal Tax Deposit Alert System
FTD Alert X Coded Pilot
Tests whether accelerating the timing of alerts increases impact and identifies which taxpayers benefit most from alerts
Implementation: April, 2015
EFTPS Early Alerts
Modifies the FTD payment platform to create a near real-time system to identify variances in FTDs that will enable/expand treatment streams
Implementation: 2017

5. Early Interaction Initiatives Benefits
Expand early interaction program, educate taxpayers and modify taxpayer behavior to enhance compliance
Improve collection case selection and assignment
Enable data-driven decisions regarding taxpayer contacts

6. Outsourcing Payroll
Many employers outsource some or all of their payroll and related tax duties to third-party payroll service providers.
Third-party payer services include:
Withholding Social Security, Medicare and income tax from wages
Timely submitting federal tax deposits
Preparation and timely filing of payroll tax returns
Preparation and timely filing of information returns

7. Risks of Using Third-Party Payers
In rare instances use of a third-party payer can expose a business to risk of:
Payroll tax fraud
Late or unfiled tax returns
Underreported tax liabilities
Late or undeposited tax payments
Limited notification if a problem arises

8. Initiatives to Mitigate Risks of Using Third-Party Payers
Dual Notice Initiative – Risks associated with address changes
Electronic Federal Tax Payment System enhancements
Inquiry PINs
confirmation of scheduled payments

9. Initiatives to Mitigate Risks of Using Third-Party Payers
Creation of Form 14157, Return Preparer Complaint
Used by taxpayers to report suspected fraudulent activity and abusive tax schemes
Federal Tax Deposit Alerts
Early Interaction initiatives
Trust Fund Recovery Penalty - IRC § 6672

10. Beyond Early Interaction for Non-Compliant Employers
Levy of bank accounts, receivables
Seizure of property
Disqualified Employment Tax Levy (DETL)
Trust Fund Recovery Penalty (IRC 6672)
Suits for Injunctive Relief
Criminal Referrals
  ( ) Exceptions to IRC 6330 Pre-Levy Notice Requirements
IRC 6330(f) provides 4 exceptions to the pre-levy notice requirements in IRC 6330:
Jeopardy levy
State Income Tax Levy Program (SITLP)
Disqualified Employment Tax Levy (DETL)
Levy on a Federal Contractor (FEDCON)
When the IRS levies prior to issuing a CDP notice in these circumstances, the taxpayer is given the opportunity for a CDP hearing via a post-levy CDP notice issued within a reasonable period of time after the levy. The subsections below discuss each of the exceptions.
DETL if…
There is an employment tax liability for any tax period
The taxpayer or its predecessor previously requested a CDP levy hearing relating to employment taxes
The prior CDP hearing request involved unpaid employment taxes that arose in the two-year period before the period for which the levy is served

11. Current Hot Topics Impersonation Concerns Hiring
Private Debt Collection
Passport Legislation
The explosion of telephonic impersonators, and some in the field, justifiably leads many taxpayers and local authorities to question the validity of our field ROs. ROs will always provide a phone number and name of a supervisor when requested to verify their identity. They will have two forms of ID with them – their pocket credentials and their Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12). Both forms of ID have a serial number.
In October, IRS hired 240 new Revenue Officers. This brings us to just over 2,600 ROs nationwide.
Private Debt Collectors were recently selected. The PDCs will generally collect accounts that would never have been worked by ROs, and will are expected to work collection cases that have been in inactive status. They will have no enforcement authority.
By statute, IRS will notify the Department of State of taxpayers with seriously delinquent tax debts ($50,000 and up). The Dept. of State will use that information for decisions about whether to deny or revoke passports.