Individuals and organizations use these types of tax fraud schemes to attempt to trick taxpayers into sharing their personal or financial information and to take their money. Tax schemes can happen during any month of the year, but they are more common during tax season, so we encourage Maryland taxpayers to remain vigilant against suspicious solicitations related to taxpayer information, social security numbers, tax liens and debts.  

If you receive a notice like the one below, and if you believe that you may have outstanding debts with the State of Maryland, we urge you to call the Office of the Comptroller at 1-888-674-0016 so that our staff can determine the status of any debts accrued. 

Generally, the Office of the Comptroller will first mail a bill on official letterhead to any taxpayer who owes taxes. The Office of the Comptroller uses two outside collection agencies -- IC System, Inc. and Penn Credit -- whose information is listed on our website. If you owe back taxes, the Office of the Comptroller will notify you with a formal letter.

Like the Internal Revenue Service, the Office of the Comptroller will never:  

     -- Call to demand immediate payment using a specific payment method, such as a prepaid debit card, gift card, or wire transfer.
     -- Threaten to immediately bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have the taxpayer arrested for not paying. 
     -- Demand that taxes be paid without giving the taxpayer the opportunity to question or appeal the amount owed. 
     -- Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.  

For more information about tax scams, visit https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/tax-scams-consumer-alerts.