Steve in Olympia

I am also very skeptical of reports of unannounced home visits by IRS agents.

mtofell

Maybe I missed it but I don't see where OP specifically says it's the IRS. He says, "special agent" which could be FBI? Maybe OP can clarify?

NM... just saw it in the thread title. I'm thinking maybe FBI and IRS together?

zeppoloveskafka

That's part of the reason I created this thread. I suspect other people keep quiet when this happens to them. This was a very stressful event for my family and that one thread from about 7 years ago I found was helpful.

The purpose of showing up unannounced is to catch somebody off guard, if you suspect they have committed a serious crime (I assume they thought I was money laundering). Otherwise people tend to lawyer up immediately. That originally was my plan too, but with 4 days to think about it, I decided I could probably explain what's going on better than any lawyer, and with my wife there (a former lawyer herself), I felt comfortable we could cut off the conversation before it got into uncomfortable territory. Keep in mind while I assumed this was about my manufactured spending, that was only a guess...they give you no information.

GetawaysRus

Google knows everything: I searched on the question "does the IRS make unannounced home visits."

IRS revenue officers will sometimes make unannounced visits to a taxpayer's home or place of business to discuss taxes owed or tax returns due. Revenue officers are IRS civil enforcement employees whose role involves education, investigation, and when necessary, appropriate enforcement.

and

Revenue agents and revenue officers usually call or send a letter before they show up at your home or business. That's standard operating procedure, so that they spend their time productively with you. Special agents can show up unannounced. Many IRS impersonator scam calls imitate one of these IRS employee titles.

Here's the IRS link: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-pro...s-at-your-door
Also: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/how-to-...g-on-your-door

zeppoloveskafka

irs. No connection to the FBI, although if they didn't like my answers, the FBI might have been next... Knowing it was just the irs made me more comfortable it was about MS.

NBG007

Funny how you kept IRS visit and comfortable in the same sentence

uiucengineer

What's illegal?

3ZeroT

While they don't have direct access to your banking activity without subpoena, you'd be surprised what gets proactively sent up to the government - when BOA as you mentioned and other FIs close your account with adverse action due to unusual activity (which we know as MS) they typically report your aggregate activity up to the government. Just in case you were doing something illegal, they have to cover their asses. Payment services like Western Union, Moneygram, Checkfree etc. also report your transactions if you're doing any meaningful volume. If you provide your ID for any transaction assume it is reported/accessible by the government. Some people interviewed for security clearance positions discovered the government had a pretty thick file of their MS transactions over the years.

zeppoloveskafka

This is good information. In that case, I think it's very likely this started from my hub bank, since they definitely had recent records from that bank.

radonc1

Just one more point before we go........

Just because an enforcement agent says that things appear tidy and there is nothing to worry about does not necessarily make it so.

There was something more in this story that triggered an enforcement arm of the treasury to come and pay a visit. This was not a "friendly" letter from the IRS asking about a deduction taken or income earned.

Possibly a mix up in names or addresses?? It's not like the government never makes a mistake

TTT103

It is likely that a real suspicious activity report was filed on you by one of your lending institutions. The agents were probably sent via a referral from the treasury department. They also likely subpoenaed your financial records from your lending institutions. It’s rather easy for them to obtain.

That’s usually how it works.

MileHighColorado

When I had an IRS special agent show up my business my accountant first did not believe me then he shxt a brick. They were looking for my tenant so I was in the clear.

NBG007

Illegal looking in the eyes of Govt until they realize it isn't.

Lomapaseo

Some possibly related material

https://www.irs.gov/privacy-disclosu...administration

https://home.treasury.gov/services/r...ectors-general

I once had an announced visit from Inspectors General office in the Transportation office. After he got my cooperation he casually showed me his gun tucked in his waist. Turns out he was seeking my cooperation in going after some guys who were ripping off some airlines.

Jerry Vandesic

Maybe the IRS was working on behalf of FinCEN? FinCEN is all about money laundering. According the the IRS web site, "The Internal Revenue Service has been delegated authority to examine certain financial institutions, including money services businesses, to determine compliance with requirements of the Bank Secrecy Act."