This is a legit IRS outgoing number. I am a revenue agent. The number may be spoofed. Only until very recently did the IRM (internal revenue manual) change to not allow cold calls for initial contact. Up until late last year we were to call and follow up with a letter. Now we send a letter first.
Use common sense, it may be legitimate. We never ask for payment over the phone or threaten arrest.
I am a CPA in Texas that works with the IRS regularly. I just received a call from this number and it was an IRS agent that I have been working with on an audit. As others have stated, this is a main IRS outgoing phone call number.
It's completely possible that scammers are spoofing this number so when you get the call, it could be the IRS or a scammer. The IRS will never ask for your personal info and they won't threaten you will jail, etc over the phone.
Be diligent when answering but know that it could be a legitimate phone call.
I don't know if its the IRS or not. I am leaning towards NOT since I googled this. This number called my office main number, After I answer it the caller ID went to "unknown" and no longer displayed the number that was just there (201-214-2999). The women said she was with the IRS and wanted to fax over a levy for one of my merchants. She provided me with the merchant name, the merchant signers name, and confirmed our mailing address. I gave her my fax number but I won't process a levy just off the fax itself. I will call a number I know to be from the IRS for levies (get them all the time) and verify this form first. The makes me feel this is a scam is that there was screaming child in the background for a bit. Maybe the government has their own "bring your child to work day"?