The IRS issued an alert warning individuals about a new scam related to the Affordable Care Act. The scam involves an email reportedly from the IRS asking the recipient to pay a fee for ACA data match issues.
The email includes a fake CP2000 form. IRS Form CP2000 is a notice that is mailed to taxpayers when information in IRS taxpayer records does not match information provided to the IRS from a third party (such as a Form W-2 from an employer). The real CP2000 is never emailed and always sent by U.S. mail.
The CP2000 may appear legitimate because many employers are now following up with employees to correct data errors relating to Form 1095. Employers may have received feedback from the IRS that data on the 2015 Form 1095 (such as last name or Social Security Number) does not match data in IRS records. These legitimate data requests are not associated with a penalty fee request. Employers who are reaching out to employees for corrected data may want to take extra steps to assure employees that their requests are legitimate.
For more information from the IRS about the scam, click here.