Can the IRS Get My Bank Account and Financial Information? The Short Answer: Yes.

 

The IRS probably already knows about many of your financial accounts, and the IRS can get information on how much is there. But, in reality, the IRS rarely digs deeper into your bank and financial accounts unless you’re being audited or the IRS is collecting back taxes from you.

The IRS has loads of information on taxpayers. Most of it comes from three sources:

  1. Your filed tax returns
  2. Information statements about you (Forms W-2, Form 1099, etc) under your Social Security Number
  3. Data from third parties, like the Social Security Administration

Because of information statements, the IRS probably already knows about your financial accounts

Here are some examples:

  • When you receive more than $10 of interest in a bank account during the year, the bank has to report that interest to the IRS on Form 1099-INT.
  • If you have investment accounts, the IRS can see them in dividend and stock sales reportings through Forms 1099-DIV and 1099-B.
  • If you have an IRA, the IRS will know about it through Form 5498.
  • If you get paid through a merchant account (like PayPal or VISA) and have enough transactions, the IRS will see the amount of these transactions on Form 1099-K.

How to find out what the IRS has about your financial accounts

To see IRS information about your financial accounts, order your wage and income transcript for the year from the IRS. In late July, this transcript will show most of your information statements that are reported to the IRS.

What happens if the IRS wants more details about your bank accounts

In some situations, the IRS will want to know about exact transactions in your bank accounts, or about other accounts that don’t show up on your tax returns or information statements. Most of the time, these inquiries would come from a specific IRS employee during an audit (revenue agent) or a back tax issue (revenue officer).

  • The revenue agent would be looking to see if you reported all your income. For example, if the revenue agent auditing you sees unexplained cash deposits in your account, he or she may suspect that you didn’t report all your income on your return.
  • In a back tax issue, the IRS revenue officer would be looking at your financial information for assets that you could use to pay off your tax bill or file a late tax return.

The first thing the IRS would do is ask you for these records. If you refuse or don’t provide them by the IRS deadline, the IRS can summons the records directly from your bank or financial institution.

You can contest the summons (called “quashing” the summons) if you can show that the summons isn’t for a legitimate purpose or that the information is irrelevant to the purpose. You can also contest the summons on the grounds that the IRS already has the information.

If you’ve gotten a summons, it’s a good idea to get professional guidance on what to do

If you’re in this situation, it’s likely that you’re entangled in a serious tax issue that requires a tax professional’s help.

Your H&R Block tax expert can get to the bottom of the situation, and deal with the IRS for you in an audit or back tax issue. Learn about H&R Block’s Tax Audit & Notice Services. Or get help from a trusted IRS expert.

Get help from an IRS expert

H&R Block’s experts can solve any IRS problem, no matter how complex.

Make an appointment

Or call 855-536-6504

Related Information

What To Do If You Can’t Pay Your Taxes

Learn about the different options when you can't pay or still owe money from a past return from the tax experts at H&R Block.

How to Handle an IRS Audit

Learn what the IRS is looking for during an audit, the steps you should take to prepare for an IRS audit, and when it's best to get expert help.

How to Avoid IRS Liens and Levies

Liens and levies are tools the IRS uses to collect back taxes. Learn more about each one -- and how to avoid tax liens and levies by working with the IRS.

Don’t Pay an IRS Penalty Without Looking Into Penalty Relief

The IRS grants four types of penalty relief, but many taxpayers don't ever ask. Learn how to request penalty abatement from the IRS.

Four Myths — And The Truth — About IRS Audits

Separate fact from fiction when it comes to IRS audits. Learn what causes tax audits, what happens during an audit, and what to do if you get an IRS letter.

Power of Attorney: It’s How Your Tax Pro Deals with the IRS For You

Learn the three main benefits of engaging a power of attorney to research your IRS account and resolve your tax problems. Get the facts from the experts at H&R Block.

Four Things You Should Know Before Calling the IRS

Do you need to call the IRS? Get the IRS phone number and learn what you need to know before calling from the tax experts at H&R Block.

The Top Seven Questions About IRS Transcripts – and How They Can Help You

Learn the value of IRS tax transcripts from the experts at H&R Block. Find out why you may need them, where to get them, and how to decode them.