In general—(1) Persons entitled to notice. Except as provided in § 301.7609-2(b), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) shall give notice of a third-party summons to any person, other than the person summoned, who is identified in the summons. The only persons so identified are the person with respect to whose liability the summons is issued and any other person identified in the description of summoned records or testimony. For example, if the IRS issues a summons to a bank with respect to the liability of C that requires the production of account records of A and B, both of whom are named in the summons, the IRS must notify A, B and C of the summons.

Time for providing notice. If notice is required by this paragraph, such notice must be given within three days of the date on which the summons is served on the third party, but no later than 23 days prior to the date fixed in the summons as the date on which the examination of the summoned person or records is scheduled.

Methods for serving notice. Notice may be served by hand delivery to any person entitled to notice or by leaving notice at such person's last and usual place of abode. Notice also may be served by certified or registered mail to the person's last known address, as defined in § 301.6212-2. If service to a person entitled to notice is made by certified or registered mail, the date of service is the date on which the notice is mailed.

Content of the notice. Notice required to be given to any person entitled to notice must be accompanied by a copy of the summons that has been served and must include an explanation of the right to bring a proceeding to quash the summons. The copy of the summons accompanying the notice is not required to contain the attestation that appears pursuant to section 7603 on the copy of the summons served on the summoned person.

Exceptions. The IRS is not required to provide notice to persons identified in the following third-party summonses:

Summons served on the taxpayer. The IRS is not required to provide notice of a summons served on the person with respect to whose liability the summons was issued, or any officer or employee of such person.

Existence of records. The IRS is not required to provide notice in the case of a summons issued to determine whether or not records of the business transactions or affairs of a person identified in the summons have been made or kept.

Numbered account or similar arrangement. The IRS is not required to provide notice in the case of a summons issued solely to determine the identity of a person having a numbered account or similar arrangement with a bank or other institution. An account is a numbered account or similar arrangement within the meaning of this paragraph if it is an account through which a person may authorize transactions solely through the use of a number, symbol, code name, or other device not involving the disclosure of the person's identity. The term person having a numbered account or similar arrangement includes the person who opened the account and any person authorized to access the account or to receive records or statements concerning it.

Summonses in aid of the collection of liabilities—(i) In general. The IRS is not required to provide notice in the case of a summons issued in aid of the collection of liabilities. A summons is in aid of the collection of liabilities within the meaning of this paragraph if it is issued in connection with the collection of—

An assessment or judgment against the person with respect to whose liability the summons is issued; or

The liability determined at law or in equity of any transferee or fiduciary of a person described in paragraph (b)(4)(i)(A) of this section.

Examples. The rules of paragraph (b)(4) of this section are illustrated by the following examples:

A third-party summons is issued to a bank to determine the amount held in an account in the name of A, against whom unpaid income taxes have been assessed. Notice of the summons is not required to be given to A or any other persons identified in the summons because the summons is issued in connection with the collection of taxes that have been assessed.

A third-party summons is issued to determine whether assessments should be made against A, who is potentially liable for a trust fund recovery penalty under section 6672 with respect to the assessed but unpaid withholding tax liability of employer E. The summons is captioned: In the matter of A. Notice of the summons must be provided to A and to any other persons identified in the summons because the summons was issued with respect to A's potential, unassessed liability under section 6672.

Summonses issued by a criminal investigator. The IRS is not required to provide notice in the case of a summons issued by a criminal investigator to a person other than a third-party recordkeeper, as defined in section 7603(b). For purposes of section 7609(c)(2)(E), a summons issued by a criminal investigator is any summons issued as part of a criminal investigation by an IRS officer or employee having authority to conduct a criminal investigation and to issue a summons.

John Doe summons. The IRS is not required to provide notice in the case of a John Doe summons issued under section 7609(f).

Summons issued pursuant to a court order to prevent spoliation of evidence. The IRS is not required to provide notice in the case of a summons for which a court determines there is reasonable cause to believe the giving of notice may lead to attempts to conceal, destroy, or alter records relevant to the examination, to prevent communication of information from other persons through intimidation, bribery, or collusion, or to flee to avoid prosecution, testifying, or production of records.

Effective/applicability date. This section is applicable on April 30, 2008.