IRS & Enforcement
Audit triggers, enforcement actions, compliance requirements, reporting thresholds, IRS technology changes, and taxpayer rights.
Latest in IRS & Enforcement
A free IRS identity PIN blocks tax returns filed under your Social Security number
Any taxpayer who files a federal return without a required six-digit Identity Protection PIN risks an outright rejection from the IRS, a consequence that can...
The IRS just made penalty relief automatic for taxpayers who usually file and pay on time
Taxpayers with a clean compliance record will no longer need to call the IRS, write a letter, or file paperwork to get a first-time penalty...
A free six-digit IRS PIN locks scammers out of filing a tax return under your Social Security number
Criminals who steal Social Security numbers to file bogus federal tax returns and collect fraudulent refunds now face a simple but effective barrier: a free...
Without direct deposit, the IRS now freezes your refund for six weeks
Taxpayers who filed their 2025 returns without providing bank account information now face a new obstacle: the IRS will hold their refund for up to...
A free six-digit IRS identity PIN blocks crooks from filing a tax return in your name
Every tax season, identity thieves race to file fraudulent returns using stolen Social Security numbers, often collecting refunds before the real taxpayer even logs in....
More than a million taxpayers waited an extra five and a half weeks for refunds this year while the IRS held up 14 million returns
More than a million taxpayers saw their refunds delayed by roughly five and a half extra weeks during the 2026 filing season after the IRS...
Innocent-spouse relief can free you from taxes a partner hid on a joint return
Separated and divorced taxpayers facing IRS collection notices for debts their former spouses secretly created have a specific federal remedy available, but an independent government...
The IRS issued more than 90 million refunds this filing season and processed nearly 139 million returns, its watchdog reported this week
The Internal Revenue Service’s internal watchdog reports that the agency has already processed nearly 139 million individual tax returns this filing season and issued more...
The IRS generally has only 10 years to collect a tax debt
Millions of Americans carrying older tax debts face a ticking clock that rarely runs in a straight line. Federal law gives the IRS 10 years...
Ask the IRS for first-time penalty relief to erase a late-filing fine
Taxpayers who missed the filing deadline and now face a penalty of 5% of unpaid tax for every month the return is late, up to...
Setting up a free IRS online account lets you see balances, past payments, and prior returns in one place
Taxpayers who want a single view of what they owe, what they have paid, and what prior returns show can now get all three through...
A free IRS PIN blocks scammers from filing a tax return in your name
Every year, criminals steal billions of dollars by filing fake federal tax returns before the real taxpayer can. The IRS offers a free, six-digit Identity...
$2,500 in payment-app business transfers now triggers a 1099-K to the IRS
Millions of gig workers, freelancers, and small online sellers who use Venmo, PayPal, or similar payment apps faced years of confusion over when the IRS...
The IRS will charge 7% interest on unpaid taxes starting July 1, up from 6%
Taxpayers who owe the IRS money after June 30 will face a steeper cost for waiting. The agency set the interest rate on unpaid taxes...
The IRS must pay you 7% interest if it holds your refund longer than 45 days
Taxpayers still waiting on federal refunds from the 2026 filing season have a financial backstop most people overlook: if the IRS holds a refund longer...
The penalty pause on inherited IRAs is over, and heirs who skip a withdrawal now face a 25% hit
Heirs who inherited retirement accounts under the 10-year distribution rule and skipped annual withdrawals during a two-year IRS grace period now owe a 25% excise...
Missing one required withdrawal from an inherited IRA brings a 25% penalty, cut to 10% if you fix it fast
Heirs who inherit an IRA and fail to take even one required minimum distribution now owe a 25% excise tax on the shortfall amount. That...
The IRS has paid out $296 billion in refunds to about 90 million filers this season
About 90 million taxpayers have already received money back from the federal government this filing season, splitting a combined $296 billion in refunds with an...
The inherited-IRA penalty waiver that ran from 2021 to 2024 has now fully expired
Heirs who inherited retirement accounts and skipped annual withdrawals for the past four years without penalty now face a hard deadline. The IRS waived excise...
A direct-deposit mismatch is hitting some taxpayers with a CP53E notice and a weeks-long wait for their refund
Some taxpayers expecting a quick direct-deposit refund this filing season are instead finding a CP53E notice in their mailbox and no money in their bank...