Every year the IRS releases it’s “Dirty Dozen” list of tax scams. The purpose is to educate taxpayers of scams which harm thousands of taxpayers each year. These scams can bilk taxpayers of tax refunds, stolen money from bank accounts, or other identity related theft. Here are some examples:
Pervasive Telephone Scams – Fake IRS agents who threaten taxpayers into paying fake taxes or penalties
Phishing – unsolicited e-mails which look official but direct taxpayers to non-IRS pages in an effort to steal personal information. The IRS WILL NEVER contact you via e-mail.
Free Money from Inflated Refunds – Scammers tell taxpayers that the IRS has additional refund money available for them – in exchange for their bank account and routing information.
Return Preparer Fraud – Bad tax preparers who submit altered tax returns, splitting refunds between them and their client.
Offshore Income – Evasion of US taxes by hiding income in offshore banks, brokerage accounts, etc.
Impersonation of Charitable Organizations – Individuals ask for donations under the guise of deductible non-profit registered organizations.
False Income, Expenses or Exemptions – Manipulation of information on a tax return to claim refundable credits such as the Earned Income Tax Credit.
Frivolous Arguments – Promoter of tax evasion schemes or contesting the legality of the income tax
Falsely Claiming Zero Wages – Creating fake corrected W-2s to improperly reduce taxable income to zero, or using the false argument that the exchange of labor for wage is nontaxable.
Abusive Tax Structures – The use of sophisticated strategies that take advantage of foreign jurisdictions and offshore accounts owned by fake shell companies to reduce taxable income.
Misuse of Trusts – The use of complicated on-shore and off-shore trusts to shield legitimate income from taxation.
If you believe you are the victim of any of these transactions, please contact our office immediately.