Hello? Is This Really the IRS, or Just a Scam?

Conceptual,Illustration,Of,Online,Fraud,,Cyber,Crime,,Data,Hacking.,A

No one enjoys getting a call from the IRS, but getting a call from someone who claims to be from the IRS, but who is really just a scammer, is even worse. However, according to the country’s top tax agency, that is exactly the kind of sophisticated and elaborate scam that has been going on lately.

The IRS says that the scam has occurred all over the country and has even taken aim at recent immigrants. According to the IRS, the scammers use fake names and IRS ID numbers. The scammers also apparently already have detailed information about the people they call and they are also able to alter their caller ID number so it appears to be coming from the tax agency.

The con artists then claim that the taxpayer owes money to the IRS and demand prompt payment for the debt. They also threaten jail time, license suspension or even deportation in some cases. The IRS absolutely does not use these kinds of tactics.

According to the IRS website it will never do the following things when it calls:

  • Demand immediate payment. In fact, the IRS won’t even call you about taxes owed until mailing you first.
  • Demand that you pay taxes without letting you question or appeal the amount you reportedly owe.
  • Require you to use a specific payment method, like a prepaid debit card, for your taxes.
  • Ask for debit or credit card numbers over the phone.
  • Threaten to have you arrested by any law-enforcement groups for not paying your debt.

You can learn more about this and other tax-related scams by visiting the IRS consumer alerts page. You can also contact us at GROCO by clicking here.

/GROCO
Posted in ,
tax return; tax scam

Don’t Get Scammed on Your 2015 Tax Return

Don’t Get Scammed on Your 2015 Tax Return By Alan Olsen, CPA, MBA (tax) Managing Partner Greenstein Rogoff Olsen & Co. LLP It’s tax season and for a lot of people that can be a very scary time of year. Some people will attempt to go it alone and use an online tax program, while…

Sales Tax Deduction Option, State and Local

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Sales Tax Deduction Option, State and Local The Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006 extended the election to deduct state and local general sales taxes for 2006. The act was enacted after Schedule A (Form 1040), Itemized Deductions, and its instructions were printed. Because we were not able to include the instructions…

California Unitary Group of Corporations; Intercompany Distributions; Deferred Gain Tracking

California Unitary Group of Corporations; Intercompany Distributions; Deferred Gain Tracking New Form 3726 – Deadline Extended to 10/15/09 Unitary Groups must do more tracking in some cases. The Franchise Tax Board wants to make sure deferred intercompany gains don’t get lost over the years (and therefore, never taxed), so they are forcing taxpayers to provide…

Top Self Employed Tax Questions

Top Self Employed Tax Questions What is Business Turnover? Sales turnover is the total amount of income a business earns before deducting business expenses. Turnover includes receipts of any kind for goods sold or work done such as commission, tips, payments in kind, fees and insurance proceeds. Include sales turnover in your financial accounts at…