Armed with 2021 W2 forms, American taxpayers will be filling out their tax returns between now and April 18.
Some will use professional tax preparers, but each year, unscrupulous ones compromise taxpayers’ personal information. With tax season in full swing, the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) wants taxpayers to be aware of tax-related fraud.
“Just like you choose a doctor or lawyer, choosing a tax preparer should be as important of a decision since you are ultimately responsible for everything on your tax form,” said IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Brian Payne.
Here’s some tips to avoid tax season fraud:
Choose a tax preparer wisely. Look for a preparer who is available year-round.
Ask your tax preparer for their IRS Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN). All paid preparers are required to have one.
Don’t use a ghost preparer — they won’t sign a tax return they prepare for you.
Don’t fall victim to tax preparers’ promises of large refunds. All taxpayers must pay their fair share of taxes.
Don’t sign a blank tax return. Taxpayers are ultimately responsible for what appears on tax returns filed with the IRS.
Make sure YOU receive your refund. Your refund should be deposited into your bank account, not your tax preparer’s.
The IRS will not call you threatening legal action. If you receive a call like this, hang up — it’s more than likely a phishing scam. Likewise, don’t respond to text messages, emails or social media posts claiming to be the IRS. They may contain malware that could compromise your personal information.
Don’t click links or open attachments in unsolicited emails or text messages about your tax return. These messages are fraudulent.
Protect your personal and financial information. Never provide this information in response to unsolicited text messages, emails or social media posts claiming to be the IRS.
“IRS-CI is the investigative arm of the IRS, and this tax season, we want to remind U.S. taxpayers about ways they can protect their wallets and personal information,” said IRS-CI Chief Jim Lee.
The IRS-CI Field Office worked several cases in the area in 2021 and prosecuted tax felons, like Petra Gomez and her co-conspirator and sister Jakeline Lumucso of Orlando, who were sentenced to eight and four years in federal prison, respectively. They operated a tax preparation business with five locations in central Florida that filed more than 16,000 false tax returns for clients from 2012 to 2016 with a total estimated loss to the IRS of $25 million.
