ConServe is one of three private collection agencies working for the IRS. The IRS lists it on its website with a mailing address in Fairport, New York (the company’s full name is Continental Service Group, Inc.). If ConServe contacted you about federal taxes, the contact can be real, but check a few things before you pay or share information.
Updated September 25, 2026 · Checked against real notices our clients received
IRS private collection agency
ConServe844-853-4875
✓ Works for the IRS
- Phone (listed by the IRS)
- 844-853-4875
- Mailing address (listed by the IRS)
- P.O. Box 307, Fairport, NY 14450
- Works for
- The IRS private debt collection program. The other two agencies are CBE Group and Coast Professional.
- Can it garnish or levy?
- No. Private collection agencies can’t take enforcement action.
- Where your money goes
- Only to the IRS, at IRS.gov/payments or by check payable to the United States Treasury.
- IRS number on your CP40
- 844-875-3420
Why ConServe has your IRS account
Federal law, Internal Revenue Code section 6306, requires the IRS to hand certain inactive balances to private collection agencies. Your balance was probably assigned because the IRS stopped working it, or because more than two years passed after the tax was assessed without anyone at the IRS being assigned to it.
Before ConServe contacts you, the IRS mails Notice CP40 naming the agency. That notice also prints the IRS’s own help line, 844-875-3420.
How to verify a ConServe call or letter
- Find your CP40. It should name ConServe, P.O. Box 307, Fairport, NY 14450, 844-853-4875.
- Look for ConServe’s own letter. The IRS says the agency mails a letter confirming the assignment before it calls you.
- Use the authentication number. The CP40 and the agency’s letter carry the same taxpayer authentication number. On the phone, you give the first five digits and the agency gives you the next five.
- Check your IRS transcript. The IRS says an assigned account shows code 971, “Collection referred to a private debt collection agency.”
- When in doubt, hang up. Call the IRS at 844-875-3420, or call ConServe back at 844-853-4875, the number the IRS lists.
Some accounts should never have been assigned
The IRS can’t send certain accounts to a private agency. If one of these fits you, call the IRS at 844-875-3420 and say so:
- You already have an active installment agreement or a pending offer in compromise with the IRS.
- You have an innocent spouse claim pending.
- You are a victim of tax-related identity theft, or you’re in a designated combat zone.
- You receive Social Security disability (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
- Your adjusted gross income is at or below 200% of the federal poverty level.
- The account belongs to someone who has died or who is under 18.
What ConServe can do
- Send you letters and call you about your IRS balance
- Explain your payment options
- Set up a plan to pay in full within 7 years, or before the IRS’s deadline to collect runs out
- Do all of that without charging you a fee to set up the plan
What ConServe can’t do
- Levy your bank account or garnish your wages
- File a federal tax lien
- Accept or reject an offer in compromise
- Put your account in currently not collectible (hardship) status
- Ask you to pay ConServe directly, or to pay with gift cards or prepaid debit cards
- Threaten you. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act applies
Stay with ConServe, or go back to the IRS?
If the balance is right and you can pay it off within seven years, a plan through ConServe can be the simplest route. There’s no fee to set it up, and your payments still go straight to the IRS.
Go back to the IRS if you need something a private agency can’t give you: an offer in compromise, hardship status, or a real dispute over what you owe. The IRS says you have to ask the agency in writing. The Taxpayer Advocate Service has a sample letter on its Notice CP40 page.
How to pay safely
- Online at IRS.gov/payments, straight from your bank account or with a card through an IRS-approved processor.
- By check or money order payable to the “United States Treasury,” with your name, Social Security number and tax year on it.
- Never to ConServe directly, and never with a gift card, prepaid debit card or wire transfer to a person.
Not sure what to do?
We’ll handle the IRS side of your ConServe account
We can check your balance with the IRS, flag an account that shouldn’t have been assigned, and help you pick between a plan through the agency and a resolution with the IRS. It starts with a free consultation.
ConServe and IRS debt FAQs
Is ConServe a legitimate IRS collection agency?
Yes. ConServe is one of three private collection agencies the IRS lists on its website, along with CBE Group and Coast Professional. Verify any contact with your CP40 notice and your taxpayer authentication number.
Why is ConServe contacting me about my taxes?
The IRS assigned your unpaid balance to ConServe under its private debt collection program, which federal law requires for certain inactive tax debts. The IRS should have mailed you Notice CP40 first.
Can ConServe garnish my wages or take money from my bank account?
No. Private collection agencies can't levy, garnish or file liens. Only the IRS can take enforcement action.
Can I pay ConServe directly?
No. All payments go to the IRS, either online at IRS.gov/payments or by check or money order payable to the United States Treasury.
How do I stop ConServe from contacting me?
Send ConServe a written request asking that your account be returned to the IRS. The IRS says the request has to be in writing.
Does a payment plan with ConServe stop interest and penalties?
No. Interest and any applicable penalties keep adding up until the balance is paid in full, even while you're on a payment plan.
“Their team of experts saved me a staggering $23,000 in taxes owed to the IRS. From the initial consultation to the final resolution, they demonstrated exceptional professionalism, knowledge, and dedication.”
Other numbers from IRS and state tax notices
Sources
- IRS, Private debt collection (agency names, addresses and phone numbers).
- IRS, Private debt collection FAQs.
- IRS Publication 4518, What You Can Expect When the IRS Assigns Your Account to a Private Collection Agency.
- 26 U.S. Code § 6306.
- Taxpayer Advocate Service, Notice CP40.
- Redacted Notice CP40 received by one of our clients (PDF).
Choice Tax Relief is a private tax resolution firm. We are not the IRS, the U.S. Treasury, or any government agency, and we are not affiliated with any private collection agency. You can call the IRS yourself at no charge. This page is general information, not legal or tax advice for your situation.