It’s the most wonderful time of the year! The days are starting to get longer, the promise of Spring is in the air and…the tax scammers are out in full force. Maybe some of that is wonderful, but no one wants to be conned, and taxes are scary enough without having to watch for thieves, too.
Mid-February to mid-April is the busiest tax filing time of the year. It also happens to be when the fraudsters try to take advantage of taxpayers. People expect to hear from the IRS during this time of year, so a phone call or email might not seem suspicious.
But, before you panic and pay a demand for taxes owed, here are some clues that indicate it’s not legit:
- The contact comes via phone call or email. The IRS will NEVER call or email you the first time they make contact. They will always send a letter in an official government envelope, and it will have a Notice Number in the top right corner.
- There is a threat of jail time or deportation. The IRS will not threaten imprisonment.
- They request payment in cash, gift cards, or through a payment service like Venmo or PayPal. The IRS does not accept cash or gift cards; credit card payments are accepted through a secure link on the IRS.gov website and checks must be made payable to the US Treasury.
If you are concerned about a notice or other contact from a tax authority, please give us a call. We’d be happy to help!
