If you have been served a Civil IRS Tax summons in regards to being the target of the civil investigation or a third party to the investigation you have many rights afforded to you by the Bill of Rights Act of 1988. To that extent, if you ask for an attorney, they must stop questioning you; you may be able to be reimbursed for your costs in locating, transporting and copying the documents. You are entitled to have your US Tax attorney present during the questioning. You are entitled to a transcript of the interview if the IRS is recording it, or alternatively you are allowed to record the interview with proper notice to the IRS. These rights can be compromised if you have an inexperienced tax lawyer. You may have valid objections to make in regards to compliance with the tax summons issued by the IRS. If you raise objections, it is the IRS that must carry the burden. That burden is to establish a prima facia case that the summons issued is for a legitimate purpose, relevant, requests information not in the hands of the IRS, and all administrative codes have been followed. If the IRS fails to establish that burden, your summons can be quashed and you will NOT have to be interviewed by the IRS. The following is the code that governs IRS summons.
(a) Authority to summon, etc.
(3) To take such testimony of the person concerned, under oath, as may be relevant or material to such inquiry.
The purposes for which the Secretary may take any action described in paragraph (1), (2), or (3) of subsection (a) include the purpose of inquiring into any offense connected with the administration or enforcement of the internal revenue laws.
An officer or employee of the Internal Revenue Service may not contact any person other than the taxpayer with respect to the determination or collection of the tax liability of such taxpayer without providing reasonable notice in advance to the taxpayer that contacts with persons other than the taxpayer may be made.
The Secretary shall periodically provide to a taxpayer a record of persons contacted during such period by the Secretary with respect to the determination or collection of the tax liability of such taxpayer. Such record shall also be provided upon request of the taxpayer.
(C) with respect to any pending criminal investigation.
No summons may be issued under this title, and the Secretary may not begin any action under section 7604 to enforce any summons, with respect to any person if a Justice Department referral is in effect with respect to such person.
(ii) any request is made under section 6103 (h)(3)(B) for the disclosure of any return or return information (within the meaning of section 6103 (b)) relating to such person.
(iii) the Attorney General notifies the Secretary, in writing, that he will not prosecute such person for any offense connected with the administration or enforcement of the internal revenue laws relating to the request described in subparagraph (A)(ii).
For purposes of this subsection, each taxable period (or, if there is no taxable period, each taxable event) and each tax imposed by a separate chapter of this title shall be treated separately.
The Secretary shall not use financial status or economic reality examination techniques to determine the existence of unreported income of any taxpayer unless the Secretary has a reasonable indication that there is a likelihood of such unreported income.