The Silver Life - Online community and resource for active Silver Surfers

Online Community & Resource for Active Silver Surfers

The Silver Life

Online Community & Resource for Active Silver Surfers

The IRS is calling: Is it for real this time?

Cupid may not live on the internet
Beware of Senior Fraud & ExploitationBeware of senior fraud & exploitation

There was a great line from the movie, Network: “I’m mad as hell and I am not going to take this anymore.”

That line is very fitting for me because I am mad!

A few months ago, I wrote an article on IRS scams in which people are called and informed that they owe back taxes.

I advised my clients to hang up the phone, because this is scam. Well, now they’ve done it. The government has created another fine mess by recently announcing that they have hired debt collectors to recover overdue taxes.

So, my clients are wondering… what does this mean now? Do they have to answer these calls?

First, the question to ask – as I asked my client…do you owe taxes?

My client smiled proudly and said that every year he worked, he paid his taxes in full in April. So, I told him to hang up the phone.

Sounds simple, right? Well, it is… I don’t care who is on the phone – even if they claim to be the President of the United States – if you do not owe taxes, just hang up.

But, what if you’re not sure? What if you do owe money?  Then, simply call your accountant and ask him or her to call the IRS. And, keep in mind, the IRS will always write you before anyone starts calling.

I did have a client with an interesting solution. When scammers call him, he blares his bull horn into the receiver. He caught my interest! Now, did this work? He said yes, but he once mistakenly blared the horn when his wife was calling. Obviously, there was no dinner on the table that night.

Take my advice for what it is…It’s just, AS I SEE IT

Share This Article

About the Author: Leonard F. Baer

Leonard Baer's practice focuses on Elder Law, and Estate Planning. His previous experience was in the area of complex criminal litigation, serving as Deputy Chief of the Major Crimes Division for The United States Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Florida. Mr. Baer was recognized by the Office of The Attorney General, as one of the top prosecutors in the country during his tenure. He has been included in North Carolina Top Rated Lawyers, a distinction awarded to those lawyers recognized by their colleagues as leaders in their field. He has also been recognized by the Florida Bar, for his efforts in representing seniors and their families, who are victims of scams and fraud. Mr. Baer is an AV rated lawyer listed in Martindale-Hubbell, and has been selected for inclusion in their Bar Registrar of Preeminent Lawyers, which for over 90 years, includes only those select law practices that have earned their highest rating. He has been designated by Martindale-Hubbell as preeminent in his field, and in the top 5% of all lawyers practicing in the United States. Mr. Baer has also been ranked by AVVO, an online Legal Directory of over 200,000 lawyers nationally, as Superb, their highest rating. He served as adjunct professor of Sports Law at The University of Miami, and is a frequent lecturer on the topics of Elder Law, Estate Planning, Asset Protection and Fraud Protection. He has been a columnist for several newspapers for over 13 years and currently has a nationally syndicated blog, “As I See It” with a readership of over 25,000. Leonard is a Guest Contributor of The Silver Life and has recently launched a new service called SuddenlySolo1 - https://www.legalbaer.com/services/suddenly-solo/

Leave A Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Go to Top