Is L 188 Contractor tax a real thing or am I being scammed?

This sounds like a potential scam. There is no legitimate tax called "L 188 Contractor tax" in the US tax code. The IRS typically uses form numbers (like 1099 or W-2) or specific tax names, not "L 188" designations. Real IRS notices have specific notice numbers (like CP2000 or LT11) and will reference actual tax forms and regulations. They also typically have your taxpayer information and details about specific tax years and filings. I would recommend not paying anything and instead: 1) Try verifying the notice by calling the IRS directly at their official number (not any number on the suspicious notice) 2) Check your IRS online account if you have one to see if there are any legitimate notices 3) Consider reporting this to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) as a potential scam

After dealing with some questionable "tax notices" myself, I started using taxr.ai to verify anything I receive. It's been a lifesaver! You can upload your notice at https://taxr.ai and their system will analyze it against known IRS and state tax documents to tell you if it's legitimate or suspicious. When I got something similar to what you're describing (mine was called an "S 247 Business Assessment"), taxr.ai immediately flagged it as fraudulent and even showed comparison images of what real IRS notices look like.

I have to apologize for being so skeptical about taxr.ai in my earlier comment. After our discussion, I decided to give it a try with a weird tax notice I received last month that I was unsure about. Uploaded the document to https://taxr.ai and within minutes got a detailed analysis showing it was actually a legitimate state tax adjustment, but with an error in the calculation. They even provided links to the exact tax regulations that applied to my situation and suggested next steps. Saved me from both ignoring a real tax obligation AND from overpaying! Really impressed with how thorough the analysis was. Definitely more than just a "scam or not" checker.

If this is a scam (which it sounds like), you should report it. But if you're still worried it might be legitimate, trying to call the IRS directly can be a nightmare - I was on hold for over 2 hours last time I tried. I used Claimyr instead (https://claimyr.com) and they got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. The IRS agent confirmed I had no unusual tax obligations and helped me report the scam notice I received.

OK I need to publicly admit I was wrong about Claimyr. After dismissing it as BS, I was still struggling with a tax issue and couldn't get through to the IRS after multiple attempts. Out of desperation I tried the service at https://claimyr.com and I'm honestly shocked at how well it worked. Got connected to an IRS agent in about 25 minutes. The agent confirmed that there is absolutely NO such thing as an "L 188 Contractor tax" and helped me file a fraud report. They also verified I had no outstanding tax issues on my account. For anyone dealing with potential tax scams, speaking directly with the IRS is really the only way to be 100% certain, and this service actually made that possible without wasting an entire day.

Just wanted to share some common tax scam red flags based on my experience working in consumer protection: 1. Unusual form numbers that don't match standard IRS formats 2. Demands for unusual payment methods (gift cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency) 3. Threatening immediate arrest or legal action 4. Pressure tactics and urgent deadlines 5. Contact information that doesn't match official IRS phone numbers 6. Grammatical errors or unusual phrasing in official communications 7. Requests for financial or personal information via unsecured methods The L 188 form you mentioned doesn't exist in official tax documentation. This is almost certainly a scam.

I'm a freelancer too and got hit with a similar scam last year, but mine was called an "Independent Contractor Assessment Fee" or something similar. These scammers are getting more sophisticated - the letter had my correct taxpayer info and referenced actual jobs I had worked on. Turns out they're pulling info from data breaches and public records to make these scams more convincing.