Could the IRS be trying to serve me legal papers? How to find out who's summoning me

This sounds stressful, but there are several steps you can take to figure out what's happening. First, it's important to understand that being "at risk of a lien" on the IRS website means they're warning you, but haven't yet filed a formal lien. Before filing a lawsuit, the IRS typically sends multiple notices to your last known address. The process server who came to your cousin's house could represent the IRS, one of your creditors, or potentially another party entirely. Since court databases aren't showing anything yet, the case may have been filed very recently and hasn't been entered into the system, or they might be attempting to serve you before filing. You should contact the IRS directly using their international taxpayer line at 267-941-1000. Explain your situation and ask if they've initiated any legal proceedings against you. Similarly, call the credit card companies to check if they've escalated your accounts to their legal departments. If possible, have your cousin ask for the process server's contact information or their company name next time they visit. Most process servers work for specific law firms or agencies and can tell you who they represent if asked directly.

I went through something similar when I moved to Canada but still had tax obligations in the US. I was getting nowhere with phone calls and online research trying to figure out who was attempting to serve papers to my old address. What finally helped me was using taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) to analyze my situation and get clarity. Their system helped identify that it was actually the IRS coming after me for back taxes, even though the online account didn't show the lien was active yet. I uploaded my IRS account transcript and notices, and their AI tools spotted patterns that showed legal action was imminent based on the timing of previous communications. The analysis also helped me understand my options living abroad while dealing with US tax issues.

Just wanted to update that I decided to try taxr.ai after reading about it here. I had a similar situation with potential IRS issues while living overseas, and it was incredibly helpful. I was skeptical about using an online service, but their document analysis pinpointed exactly what was happening with my tax situation. The system identified that my "at risk of lien" status had specific triggers that would lead to legal action within 45 days. It also found issues in my previous filings that were likely causing the problem. The analysis gave me clear next steps, including which forms to file and how to establish a payment plan from abroad. They even provided templates for hardship letters specific to international taxpayers. For anyone in a similar situation living outside the US but dealing with IRS issues, this service was a lifesaver. Saved me countless hours of stress and confusion trying to navigate international tax complications.

When I was facing IRS collection issues while living in Costa Rica, the most frustrating part was trying to actually speak with someone at the IRS to resolve the problem. I spent HOURS on international calls getting disconnected or waiting on hold, burning through hundreds in phone bills. Then I found Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) and it completely changed my experience. They got me connected to an actual IRS agent within 20 minutes. I explained my situation about living abroad and the potential legal action, and the agent was able to confirm there was indeed a pending case against me that hadn't fully populated in their online system yet. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c For someone in your situation living in Peru and needing immediate answers about who's trying to serve you, getting through to the IRS quickly could save you a lot of trouble. The agent I spoke with put a temporary hold on further collection activity while I worked out a resolution plan.

I need to apologize for my skeptical comment earlier and provide an update. After posting that comment, I decided to try Claimyr myself since my situation with the IRS was getting desperate while living in Thailand. I'm honestly shocked at how well it worked. I got connected to an IRS agent in about 25 minutes, which is miraculous compared to my previous attempts. The agent confirmed that there was indeed legal action pending against me that hadn't shown up in online systems yet. They were able to put a 60-day hold on the collection process while I submitted a formal installment agreement. What I appreciated most was being able to explain my international situation to an actual human who could note my account properly. For anyone dealing with IRS issues from abroad, being able to quickly speak with a real person makes all the difference. I went from facing unknown legal action to having a clear resolution path in one phone call.

I think everyone's missing an important angle here. You mentioned you're considering bankruptcy - if that's the case, you might want to consult with a bankruptcy attorney before doing anything else. If you file bankruptcy, it puts an automatic stay on most collection actions, including those from the IRS and credit card companies. The timing matters here though. If you're genuinely planning to file bankruptcy soon, you might want to do that before responding to whoever is trying to serve you. BUT this depends on what type of debt they're pursuing and what chapter bankruptcy you're filing. Tax debts have special rules in bankruptcy.

I'm actually more concerned about the attempt to serve papers at an address where you don't permanently live. From my understanding (not a lawyer), proper service usually requires delivering documents to your actual residence. If you're officially residing in Mexico, there are international protocols for serving US legal papers to someone in Mexico. It sounds like they're trying to serve you at a US address of convenience, which might not constitute proper service. You might want to research the "Hague Service Convention" which covers international service of process between the US and Mexico.

The international service of process angle is crucial here, but I want to clarify something - you mentioned you're in Peru, not Mexico. The Hague Service Convention does apply between the US and Peru, so if you're truly residing there permanently, any US legal action would need to follow proper international service procedures. However, there's an important distinction to consider. If you've been using your cousin's address as your official address for taxes, banking, and other legal purposes, courts might consider that your legal domicile for service purposes, even if you physically reside abroad. This is called "substituted service" and many jurisdictions allow it when the defendant has designated an address for official correspondence. Given that you mentioned maintaining US residency status and using the cousin's address for "all official mail," you might have inadvertently created a situation where service at that address could be considered proper. I'd recommend consulting with an attorney who handles international service issues before assuming you have protection under improper service rules. The key question is whether you've been filing taxes as a US resident (using that address) or as a US citizen abroad. This designation could significantly impact how courts view proper service in your case.