Tax scams are continuing to be a major problem. Unfortunately, the scammers seem to be very active in our area based on the number of questions I've received recently. Scammers and cyber thieves continue to use the IRS as bait. The most common tax scams are phone calls and emails from thieves who pretend to be from the IRS. Scammers use the IRS name, logo, fake employee names and badge numbers to try to steal money and identities from taxpayers. Taxpayers need to be wary of p

Recently, there have been several scams where criminals pretend to be from the IRS and try to get taxpayers to give them money. The IRS wants you to know how they actually contact people so you can spot a scam. When the IRS needs to contact a taxpayer, the first contact is normally by letter delivered by the U.S. Postal Service. The IRS doesn't normally initiate contact with taxpayers by email. They also don’t send text messages or contact taxpayers through social media. Depe

Welcome to the 200th edition of Tax Tip Tuesday! This week we are going to address tax scams from a different angle based on a couple comments from our clients. We've been adamant about keeping you up-to-date on the latest tax scams, so many of you are aware of various signs that something is a scam. But your family members, who don't read this blog, might not be. Please talk to your grandparents, parents, and kids about the following signs of a scam. Scammers are very good a

Taxpayer beware, the scammers are still out there. The IRS recently warned people to watch out for a new scam linked to the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS), where fraudsters call to demand an immediate tax payment through a prepaid debit card. EFTPS is an automated system for paying federal taxes electronically using the internet or by phone using the EFTPS Voice Response System. This scam is being reported across the country. In the latest twist, the scammer cl

The IRS says older individuals need to remain alert to aggressive and threatening phone calls by criminals impersonating IRS agents. The callers claim to be IRS employees, but they are not. These con artists can sound convincing when they call. They use fake names and bogus IRS identification badge numbers. They may know a lot about their targets, and they usually alter the caller ID to make it look like the IRS is calling. The victims are told they owe money to the IRS and m

Scammers have a new tactic to try and steal your money. The IRS issued an alert to taxpayers and tax professionals to watch out for fake emails claiming to contain an IRS tax bill related to the Affordable Care Act. The IRS has received numerous reports around the country of scammers sending a fraudulent version of CP2000 notices for tax year 2015. Generally, the scam involves an email that includes the fake CP2000 as an attachment. The CP2000 is a notice commonly mailed to t

The IRS is issuing another warning about scammers targeting students and their parents during this back to school season. This scam is continuing to be a big problem. IRS impersonators are calling students or parents and demanding that they pay the fake Federal Student Tax or other non-existent taxes. They demand to have money wired to them immediately. If the taxpayer doesn’t agree, the scammer becomes aggressive and threatens to report them to the police to be arrested. Par

IRS impersonation scams are on the rise. They can take many forms, but recently there has been a surge in robo-call phone scams. The IRS warns that scammers are using robo-calls (automated phone calls) and are demanding tax payments on iTunes or other gift cards. The scammers leave urgent callback requests and demand that the taxpayer pay their tax bill. They claim that this is the last warning before legal action will be taken. If the taxpayer calls them back, the scammers t

The tax deadline has come and gone, but now scammers have a new target – students. The Internal Revenue Service issued this warning to taxpayers. IRS impersonators are calling students and demanding payment for a fake tax that they call the Federal Student Tax. They try to convince people to wire money immediately to the scammer. They also threaten to report the student to the police. “These scams and schemes continue to evolve nationwide, and now they’re trying to trick stud

Tax scams are up 400-percent this tax season. The IRS is again warning that scammers are using email schemes to steal money. The emails are designed to look like they are coming from the IRS or others in the tax industry, such as tax software companies. These emails ask for personal information and/or details on refunds, filing statuses, ordering transcripts, and PIN information. If you click on a link in the email, you are taken to a website that is made to look official and